Speculate!

This episode carries content warnings for anxiety, hostile work environments, roadkill, animal funerary rituals, police violence, police harassment and threats. Tech mogul Rüstem Demir announces “The Eye”, a new product from megacorp Dreamshine Technologies, which threatens to even further intrude into people’s lives and minds. Vik gives a history lesson and gets chewed out by the Vice Principal. Ruth’s workplace gets a visit from the police. Fractal Spire is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Girl by Moonlight by Andrew Gillis, forthcoming from Evil Hat Productions. We are grateful for the sponsorship and support provided by Evil Hat in helping us make this show. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our completed series “Splendour and Shadow” and “The Case of the Cindered Seal” at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

The group reflects on the worldbuilding and character choices they’ve made and discusses some potential names for the series. Names are hard. Brandon reveals the dream tarot they created. The group discusses the missing fifth member of the team, the person that assembled the team and mysteriously disappeared at the end of last season. This series is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Girl by Moonlight by Andrew Gillis, forthcoming from Evil Hat Productions. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood).If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!).You can watch our completed series “Splendour and Shadow” and “The Case of the Cindered Seal” at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

The group discusses avatars, perfect expressions of a character’s will that they can summon and have guide their actions in the dreaming. In a world that forbids and represses authenticity, the character’s real selves are revealed in the dreaming world. But the relationship between characters and their avatars are not always cut-and-dry.   This series is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Girl by Moonlight by Andrew Gillis, forthcoming from Evil Hat Productions. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our completed series “Splendour and Shadow” and “The Case of the Cindered Seal” at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

The team talks about their characters’ roles and playbooks as we continue our session zero work using the “In a Maze of Dreams” playset. We’ve got a weary caretaker, a time-traveling oracle, an unlikely hero, and more. Then the crew discusses some of the logistics and symbolics of dream travel in the series. “Fractal Spire” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Girl by Moonlight by Andrew Gillis, forthcoming from Evil Hat Publications. (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our completed series “Splendour and Shadow” and “The Case of the Cindered Seal” at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

Speculate! kicks off a new campaign with Session Zero of “Fractal Spire,” playing Girl by Moonlight: a multi-genre RPG of Magical Girls grappling with destiny: hopes thwarted, defended, redeemed, and betrayed.   The team talks about their process of deciding on the “In a Maze of Dreams” playset and begin the process of collaborative worldbuilding using the series playsheet provided by the game. The crew decides on a Conspiracy made up of a single dream that plagues the world and a history haunting the present, then go from there. This series is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Girl by Moonlight by Andrew Gillis, forthcoming from Evil Hat Publications. (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our completed series “Splendour and Shadow” and “The Case of the Cindered Seal” at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for divine magic, ectoplasmic blasts, flashbacks, cursed artifacts, combat, death, ghosts, and food.   Ash helps the crew get the drop on Aldo and his Hull. Ring deploys their contingency plans. Skelly deals with Aldo’s reinforcements. Crossroads lets loose. With the case closed, the Strange Friends take care of loose ends and make plans for their post-Fugitive life. “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our completed miniseries “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner) at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. We’ll be announcing our new 2022 series soon!This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for divine magic, cursed artifacts, soulless bodies, and ghosts. The Strange Friends assemble for the big run at Aldo Booker. Skelly scopes out Aldo’s security. Ash leads the group’s infiltration and uses her divine gifts. Crossroads discovers yet more horrors of Aldo’s operation. “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our completed miniseries “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner) at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. We’ll be announcing our new 2022 series soon!This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

A familiar face drops by Ash’s shop for tea and makes an unexpected offer. Ash consults the stones. Melvir doctors aggressively at Skelly. Crossroads gets some upgrades. “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our completed miniseries “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner) at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. We’ll be announcing our new 2022 series soon!This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for war flashbacks, gunfire, children in peril, dangerous artifacts  Ring gets some last-minute intel. Ash and Crossroads realize what they’ve got in their hands (and claws). “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our completed miniseries “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner) at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron. We’ll be announcing our new 2022 series soon! This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for drowning, leaving a person to die, mention of demons, human remains, The morning after the revelatory “conversation” with Casta, the Strange Friends awake and set about putting things in order. Ring does the rounds with some prodigal Porters. Ash and Crossroads make some dangerous discoveries. “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!).You can watch our other series “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner), at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron and catch new episodes live at Twitch.tv/ArvanEleron This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for facial injuries, trauma, raw meat, blood, troubled sleep, violence against a captive.   After a long night with an imprisoned rival, Crossroads tries its hand as being a butler as the other Strange Friends sleep.   “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our other series “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner), at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron and catch new episodes live at Twitch.tv/ArvanEleron This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for child labor, child endangerment, and interrogation. The Strange Friends press Casta for answers, and each new bit of information is more disturbing than the last. Laden with clues and terrifying reality, the still-conscious friends debate what to do with their captive and their trauma-laden companion. “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our other series “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner), at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron and catch new episodes live at Twitch.tv/ArvanEleron This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for description of a black eye, violence against a captive, interrogation, torture, child labor, child endangerment, Ring tags in to interrogate Casta about her relationship to Aldo Booker and what she knows about the tempest of chaos that has descended upon the Strange Friends. Crossroads turns to the ghost field for more answers. “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our other series “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner), at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron and catch new episodes live at Twitch.tv/ArvanEleron This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for flashbacks to trauma, violence between children, anger blackout, disassociation, violent outburst, and arcane visions The players pick a crew upgrade for the crew, only several months after earning it. The Strange Friends continue to struggle with how to deal with their captive and press her for answers as Skelly is overtaken by anger and guilt. Crossroads protects its friends once more. “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our other series “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner), at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron and catch new episodes live at Twitch.tv/ArvanEleron This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!

This episode carries content warnings for magical explosions, ghosts, contract killing, and dead bodies. Back at Derrn’s hideout, The Strange Friends rest, then face the question of Casta. Ash shows Crossroads how to roll someone for loot. “The Case of the Cindered Seal” is a joint production with Greg’s Twitch channel, playing Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Brandon O’Brien (@therisingtithes) GMs for the crew of Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes), Iori Kusano (@iorikusano), Jeoi Gawain Lin (@thisismydasein), and our own Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood). Featuring a unique “Fugitives” crew sheet created by Brandon! (Available at https://therisingtithes.itch.io/) If you like what you hear, please tune in soon for more actual play content, and please spread the word about the show! Become a subscriber to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/speculate to get even more content (including special episodes, access to behind-the-scenes videos like GM streams and session zero recordings, plus other bonus episodes!). You can watch our other series “Splendour and Shadow” (playing Rebel Crown by Michael Dunn-O’Conner), at Youtube.com/ArvanEleron and catch new episodes live at Twitch.tv/ArvanEleron This episode was edited by the amazing Rudy Basso (find him at https://twitter.com/RudyBasso). As always, thanks for listening!