Earthdawn Survival Guide

* Infected! Spoilers for the adventure in this episode!

* FreedoniaCon February 16-18 on the FASA Games Discord

* Written by the legendary Robin Laws

* Probably Josh's favorite published adventure.

* Let's talk about the cover!

* General gushes about art from old school FASA

* Dramatic, evocative cover.

* Open ended resolution.

* Plays on expectations and twists them.

* Plot background and summary.

* How the PCs are introduced.

* On the Road to Hanto

* Shantaya's Sextant

* Yellowspring and Cherrypit.

* Thematic foreshadowing - no clear cut solution.

* The previous messengers attack.

* Learn about the situation in Hanto.

* Combat focused groups may miss a lot of the nuance.

* Arrival at Hanto, meeting the Grim Legion.

* "Now what do you do?"

* Discussion of Moltaa and Kwamm.

* Aardelea and what's really going on.

* Branching endings... ways to resolve the problem.

* The aftermath.

* Features strong player character agency.

* Situation not story.

* Discussion of the treasures recovered.

* Threads moving forward in the setting.

* Maps and handouts.

* Masterclass in "Adventure as location"

* Any interesting stories from your experience with this adventure? Let us know!

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* The Talshara Ranelle

* Reminder: FreedoniaCon Feb 16-18 on the FASA Games Discord!

* Talshara comprises most of the militia and exolashers in the Blood Wood

* Nearly every combat Discipline is represented in the ranelle.

* Likely includes a significant number of Woodsman followers

* (Check out Episode 78 for the Woodsman Episode.)

* Current leader: Erithander, strongly loyal, can be blunt with the queen.

* Founded during the reign of queen Failla

* Queen Liara brought on members of the ranelle as her personal guard.

* Alachia charged the Talshara with repeling the Horrors as the kaer was prepared.

* Founded the Grove of Blades as a military academy to train fighters.

* If you go with Failla as a prior tenure of Alachia as queen, that puts an interesting spin on her relationship with the ranelle.

* Detachment of Talshara at Eidolon, representing the Wood in that partnership.

* Erithander: Over 300 years old, honest, loyal, and straightforward.

* Follows the elven wheel, has studied four combat Disciplines.

* Possible spin of Erithander as another immortal elf.

* Erthander's agenda: Ensure the defense and protection of the wood.

* Heads the Grove of Thorns that trains the militia, guards, and exolashers.

* Rhisiart: Eritahnder's son.

* Sent out on expeditions to retrieve elven artifacts from outside the wood.

* Banished from court when he disagreed with the queen, now leads Eidolon garrison.

* Dedicated to rooting out Monus Byre and the Seekers of the Heart.

* Honest and loyal like his father.

* Current consortis: Ilisa Willowby

* Was scribe on Rhisiart's expeditions, good friends with the scion.

* Born and raised in court, knows a bit about court culture and politics.

* Made consortis as a slight against the Talshara because of Rhisiart's gaffe.

* Working to get her friend back in Alachia's good graces and lift his exile.

* Goro'imri: The town of the outsiders.

* Founded by an unprotected elf who believes in the strength found in diversity.

* Alachia is aware of the settlement but does not acknowledge it.

* Rommanarel Oakfast is the leader, and has petitioned to meet with Alachia.

* She has learned of the wood longing and its effects.

Find and Follow:

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Adventure breakdown: Terror in the Skies

* SPOILERS!

* FreedoniaCon is February 16-18 on the FASA Games Discord

* Live Survival Guide on Sunday the 18th.

* Second adventure published.

* Like Mists of Betrayal, likely written to feature different aspects of the game.

* Still potential balance issues, but not as severely as Mists.

* Sidebar about adventures not strictly speaking a series, despite easter eggs.

* Written by Shane Lacy Hensley.

* High concept of the adventure.

* "You all meet in a tavern..."

* Early heroics and hired by the air patrol.

* Options for NPC interactions and character development.

* The Obsidian Flyer and first encounter with the rakken.

* Letter from a Wizard and learning about the Tome of Banishment.

* Voyage to the Thunder Mountains.

* Sidebar about Juliak Merris, Omasu, and future storylines.

* Encountering ork scorchers.

* Talon Kaer, the windling refuge.

* Sidebar about Jennell Jacquays and adventure design.

* First appearances of some creatures.

* Lower section and the vault.

* The problem with the solution to opening the vault.

* Leaving the kaer and chasing the Shadow Skulker.

* Possible appearance of railroading.

* Opposition of the climactic battle.

* Banishing the rakken and Rasper-Nor.

* Overall opinions and assessment.

* Discussion of casting the banishment spell.

* Ship combat and the airships in the adventure.

* Treasures and loot.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

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FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* The Jae'Helastri Ranelle

* Politically inclined gossip-mongers

* Most likely to pass information to manipulate events.

* May be envoys outside the wood.

* Keep an eye on other ranelles.

* No farming, trade, or other aspects of life.

* Smallest ranelle, no more ancestral lands or lesser ranelles sworn to them.

* The ranelle that "knows things".

* Came to power through unswerving loyalty to Alachia.

* Founder became the go-between the consortis and blood warders.

* Willing to share their information, but just as willing to use it against you.

* May see themselves as a balancing force to keep any other faction from gaining too much power.

* Willing to share gossip and falsehoods to further their ends.

* Focused more on internal politics than external.

* Do not write down their information to keep control of it.

* Pop-culture archetypes: High-class courtesan.

* Littlefinger or Varys from Game of Thrones.

* Involving the ranelle in traditional campaigns.

* Personalities and activites.

Find and Follow:

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* New Year, New mailbag!

* The full, unedited interview with Lou is available on our YouTube channel.

* The pre-art draft for Grand Bazaar has been made available to backers.

* Email from Bart: Dispelling or disrupting threads?

* Email from Chris: Crossbows! Why Strength?

* Why not more kinds of crossbows?

* Convention news!

* Email from Brendan: Twisted ideals for the non-mad Passions?

* Email from Shady Dragon: Teamwork knacks?

* Email from Brendan: What about the Grim Legion?

Find and Follow:

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FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* The Third and Final Part of our conversation with Lou Prosperi

* Lou's Favorites

* Why Ukraine

* One More Thing for Earthdawn

* Enduring Nature and Cliffhangers

* Is Lou a Passion

* Tales From Lou's Table

* Working With Greg Gorden

* Working on Different Systems

* Something from Fourth Edition You Like

* An Area You Wanted to Cover

* If You Could Change Anything

* What Would You Like to Revisit Now

* Grand Storyline

* Differetiation From Other Fantasy Games

* Magic System Development

* If You Could Create a New Game

* Blood Wood

* Disney Imagineering Books

Find and Follow:

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FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* The second part of our conversation with Lou Prosperi.

* T'skrang as alien race?

* What's the deal with the ash blowing in from the Wastes?

* Sidebar about the "Western Kingdoms"

* Questions about loci and their use in original plans for Barsaive at War.

* World maps?

* Thoughts about the return of the Earthdawn and other parts of the world.

* Magic use in lands outside the Theran Empire.

* Portals to the elemental planes.

* Back to the illusion of a fully-developed plan.

* Cover art and war golems?

* Why does Lou hate goblins?

* The profileration of PC races (and monstrous humanoids) in fantasy gaming.

* Involvement with 1879?

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

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FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Episode 200! Part one of our conversation with Lou Prosperi.

* How does Lou pronounce certain Earthdawn names?

* What were the plans for continuing coordination with Shadowrun?

* Some discussion about crossover characters.

* Story about Lou sending his SR players into the past before Earthdawn

* Lou's path to Earthdawn.

* How did they go about building the setting?

* Were there secrets that weren't revealed?

* A story about a supplement that never was to provide context.

* "As much as you have to, but as little as possible."

* Is Rosper an homage?

* Magical laser cannons at Sky Point?

* In-setting narratives and what people know.

* What other magical stuff did the Therans have lurking about?

* Some discussion about the loci and setting development.

* Loose plans when first edition shuttered: Vivane, Pawns of the Dragon, Scytha.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Find and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchant

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Wrapping up 2023 with some listener statistics and analytics

* We broke 100k total listens this year according to our host.

* Where our listeners hail from and what platform they listen on.

* Most listened to overall episodes.

* Our Spotify Wrapped summary... new listeners and audience growth.

* Listen Notes score and commentary.

* YouTube stats (all our backlog is now on the channel)

* What does the future hold?

* Adventure analysis: Mists of Betrayal

* First official adventure... spoilers ho!

* Initial thoughts.

* Overview of recommended character Circles and broad session structure.

* Arrival in Tureem.

* Disucssion of the introductory jehuthra encounter.

* Moving on to Haven and getting hired by a Wizard.

* On the road to Blood Wood: Theran ambushes.

* Random sidequest: Ruined caravan and the Horror Duaga.

* Blood Wood and elven politics: The next step along the story trail.

* Tracking the slavers and discovering Akarem.

* Exploring the ruined tower and catacombs.

* Difficult obstacle 1: The Spectral Dancer.

* Difficult obstacle 2: The Mist.

* Back to Blood Wood and returning to Haven.

* Final encounter: Kalourin and the Mist.

* Discussion and potential stumbling blocks.

* Loose ends and possible follow-ups.

* Thread items in the adventure.

* Legend Awards.

* Memories of running the adventure.

* Timeless adventure not tied to any particular era.

* High marks despite difficulty spikes.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Find and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchant

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Mailbag!

* Email from Jonathan: Would Blood Warders or Exolashers have been a path?

* Email from Alexandre: Social Defense needs and protections for a Gauntlet?

* Discussion of Resist Taunt, Lion Heart, Lion Spirit, and other options.

* Email from Leamon: Ways to track Legend Point awards.

* Spreadsheets!

* Email from Brendan: Are Karma and Legend Points diegetic?

* What about talent ranks?

* Episode with Lou Prosperi coming up in a couple weeks!

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Find and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchant

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW