Presented by the Evio Creative Podcast Network

Before the Vatican was marble and gold… before the Church had armies and crowns… there was Rome — a ruin with a heartbeat.

In this first half of The Keys of Blood: The Assassination of Pope John VIII, we enter the smoke and silence of the ninth century — a time when popes ruled by letter instead of sword, when faith was a fragile currency, and when the empire that once conquered the world had been reduced to a city clinging to its own memory.

⚜️ Episode I: The Broken Empire

Europe is in fragments. Charlemagne’s heirs bicker over borders while Viking and Saracen raiders carve the continent apart. Into this chaos steps Pope John VIII, a scholar forced into kingship. His Rome is a relic surrounded by wolves, and his only weapon is diplomacy — or what’s left of it. But when he dares to pay tribute to Saracen pirates to spare the city, his mercy is mistaken for weakness, and whispers of betrayal begin to echo through the marble halls of the Lateran.

⚓ Episode II: The Pope and the Pirates

As the raiders tighten their grip, John is forced to choose between faith and survival. His decision to ransom Rome with gold saves lives but shatters his reputation. The Frankish kings mock him; the clergy call him coward; the nobles begin to conspire. When he crowns Charles the Bald as Holy Roman Emperor, hoping for salvation, the emperor dies within months — leaving the papacy more isolated than ever. Rome’s enemies circle closer, and John’s greatest fear becomes clear: the Church will not fall to pagans, but to its own believers.

👑 Episode III: The Emperor’s Shadow

In this final chapter of Part One, the illusion of empire collapses for good. As Saracens burn the coasts and noble families tear Rome apart from within, Pope John VIII fights a losing battle to keep faith alive in a city that no longer believes. He writes, he pleads, he endures. Yet within the candlelit halls of the Lateran, betrayal is already gathering — not in the form of armies, but of whispers. The hammer that will one day kill him has not yet fallen, but its echo is already in the air.

🕯️ What to Expect

A cinematic historical narrative written in the immersive, literary tone of The Ides of April, exploring:

    •    The fall of Charlemagne’s empire and the rise of feudal chaos

    •    The paradox of a pope who bought peace with gold

    •    How faith, politics, and paranoia became indistinguishable

    •    The first cracks in the illusion of papal invincibility

💀 Credits

Written and narrated by Branden Morgan

Produced by Evio Creative in partnership with Bellaire Studios

Sound design and original score by [Audio Engineer Name]

For press or partnerships, visit eviocreative.com (https://www.eviocreative.com/)

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🎙️ Network CTA

Listen to more from the Evio Creative Podcast Network, including The Devil Within, Criminal Mischief, The Devil’s Ledger, and Taboo Treasures.

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