Merely Roleplayers

Act Two of Five: Gwynned seeks out eyewitnesses (and nose-, foot- and tail-witnesses). Graham and Renko follow their noses.

Coming next on 25 March – Vigil: Ill Wind, Act 3

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, retching sounds, toxic friendship, and betrayal.

The Re: Dracula team’s audio drama adaptation of Carmilla, the classic vampire novel by J Sheridan Le Fanu (Sherrydown’s namesake), is in progress over on the Re: Dracula podcast feed.

Dramatis personae and other definitions

Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.

Gwynned, the Shieldmaiden: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan, exiled to live as a duck for the crime of saving a mortal man from her mistress’ cruel whim, now freed from her curse and elevated to a third of the godhead herself.

Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.

Peggy Tailor: The prodigal daughter of a local family that dabbles in fey frolicking and organised crime, back in town to lay low after a grift gone horribly wrong.

Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.

Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.

Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.

Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Recently lifted.

Credits

COMPERE: Matt Boothman

STARRING:

Vikki as Renko, the Flake

Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine

Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned

Ellie Pitkin as Peggy Tailor, the Crooked

with Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman

SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: pigeons taking off by Glaneur de sons on freesound.org; Virtutes Instrumenti by Kevin McLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons By Attribution 3.0 License; and may include others made available to use without attribution.

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Act One of Five: Something’s rotten in the county of Brackshire. Peggy has some rotten luck and Graham smells a rat.

Coming next on 11 March – Vigil: Ill Wind, Act 2

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, retching sounds, toxic friendship, and betrayal.

Free exhibition Tarot: Origins and Afterlives is at the Warburg Institute, London until 30 April.

Dramatis personae and other definitions

Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.

Gwynned, the Shieldmaiden: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan, exiled to live as a duck for the crime of saving a mortal man from her mistress’ cruel whim, now freed from her curse and elevated to a third of the godhead herself.

Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.

Peggy Tailor: The prodigal daughter of a local family that dabbles in fey frolicking and organised crime, back in town to lay low after a grift gone horribly wrong.

Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.

Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.

Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.

Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Recently lifted.

Credits

COMPERE: Matt Boothman

STARRING:

Vikki as Renko, the Flake

Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine

Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned

Ellie Pitkin as Peggy Tailor, the Crooked

with Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

While you wait for the next Vigil production in the Main House, here’s a sample of The Sprouting by our friends at Blighthouse Studio.

The Sprouting is an eldritch horror of a Call of Cthulhu actual play podcast, set in an apocalyptic future where plants have taken over, magical bargains twist the fabric of reality and each survivor struggles to trust their own senses.

Coming next on 25 February – Vigil: Ill Wind, Act 1 of 5

The Sprouting: Prequel for Lark, Sully and Ralph

Dear listener, welcome to The Cradle. My name is Anori and I will be recounting the story of The Sprouting.

Before we set off on this tale together, it is only right that we meet the people integral to this story: Lark, Sully and Ralph.

Enjoy.

Support The Sprouting

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://linktr.ee/thesprouting

Support: http://www.Patreon.com/blighthouse

Discord: https://discord.gg/vtgnVAZY44

This is a Blighthouse Studio production

Which questions did we decline to answer and why? The cast discusses the end of their beloved Queen’s journey.

Coming next on 11 February – Guest artist: The Sprouting

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, murder, and eye damage.

Credits

STARRING:

- Alexander Pankhurst

- Marta Da Silva

- Josh Yard

- Ellie Pitkin

- Matt Boothman

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: For The Queen, second edition, by Alex Roberts, published by Darrington Press

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

COVER ART INCLUDES:

Royal crown silhouette by Timplaru Emil on Vecteezy

Carnival mask silhouette by Muhammad Fathurrahman on Vecteezy

Skull silhouette by Carlos Avila on Vecteezy

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram

On Tumblr

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Act 3 of 3: The Queen is under attack. After all she’s done, who of her retinue will defend her?

Coming next on 4 February – Her end (Many Masks Backstage)

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, murder, and eye damage.

Credits

STARRING:

- Alexander Pankhurst

- Marta Da Silva

- Josh Yard

- Ellie Pitkin

- Matt Boothman

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: For The Queen, second edition, by Alex Roberts, published by Darrington Press

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

COVER ART INCLUDES:

Royal crown silhouette by Timplaru Emil on Vecteezy

Carnival mask silhouette by Muhammad Fathurrahman on Vecteezy

Skull silhouette by Carlos Avila on Vecteezy

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram

On Tumblr

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Blooper reel or pooper reel? From all the material Matt cut from the recording emerges a very tonally different parallel story.

Coming next on 28 January – Her Many Masks, Act 3

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, murder, and eye damage.

Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files. They just aired Dead On Arrival, a two-part miniseries using a one-page game designed by the show’s own Danny, that centres around c-list supervillains being given their 15 minutes of fame (inspired by The Secret Six and The Suicide Squad). And season two of their main Monster of the Week game starts soon!

Credits

STARRING:

- Alexander Pankhurst

- Marta Da Silva

- Josh Yard

- Ellie Pitkin

- Matt Boothman

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: For The Queen, second edition, by Alex Roberts, published by Darrington Press

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

COVER ART INCLUDES:

Royal crown silhouette by Timplaru Emil on Vecteezy

Carnival mask silhouette by Muhammad Fathurrahman on Vecteezy

Skull silhouette by Carlos Avila on Vecteezy

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram

On Tumblr

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Act 2 of 3: The road behind is as perilous as the one ahead, each strewn with seeds that could prove the Queen’s undoing.

Coming next on 21 January – Her crimes (Many Masks Backstage)

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, murder, and eye damage.

Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files. They just aired Dead On Arrival, a two-part miniseries using a one-page game designed by the show’s own Danny, that centres around c-list supervillains being given their 15 minutes of fame (inspired by The Secret Six and The Suicide Squad). And season two of their main Monster of the Week game starts soon!

Credits

STARRING:

- Alexander Pankhurst

- Marta Da Silva

- Josh Yard

- Ellie Pitkin

- Matt Boothman

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: For The Queen, second edition, by Alex Roberts, published by Darrington Press

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

COVER ART INCLUDES:

Royal crown silhouette by Timplaru Emil on Vecteezy

Carnival mask silhouette by Muhammad Fathurrahman on Vecteezy

Skull silhouette by Carlos Avila on Vecteezy

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram

On Tumblr

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Our Queen will emerge through play, but what’s her starting vibe? We moodboard an aesthetic with the help of For The Queen’s beautiful art cards.

Coming next on 14 January – Her Many Masks, Act 2

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, murder, and eye damage.

Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Legend of the Bones, a hybrid of solo old school Dungeons & Dragons actual play, and dark fantasy audio drama. A story where the roll of the bones determines all. None shall escape the destiny of bone.

Credits

STARRING:

- Alexander Pankhurst

- Marta Da Silva

- Josh Yard

- Ellie Pitkin

- Matt Boothman

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: For The Queen, second edition, by Alex Roberts, published by Darrington Press

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

COVER ART INCLUDES:

Royal crown silhouette by Timplaru Emil on Vecteezy

Carnival mask silhouette by Muhammad Fathurrahman on Vecteezy

Skull silhouette by Carlos Avila on Vecteezy

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram

On Tumblr

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Act 1 of 3: The Queen sets out through wrack and ruin with her retinue, each of whom loves her in their own way.

Coming next on 7 January 2025 – Her Majesty (Many Masks Backstage)

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, murder, and eye damage.

Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Legend of the Bones, a hybrid of solo old school Dungeons & Dragons actual play, and dark fantasy audio drama. A story where the roll of the bones determines all. None shall escape the destiny of bone.

Credits

STARRING:

- Alexander Pankhurst

- Marta Da Silva

- Josh Yard

- Ellie Pitkin

- Matt Boothman

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: For The Queen, second edition, by Alex Roberts, published by Darrington Press

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

COVER ART INCLUDES:

Royal crown silhouette by Timplaru Emil on Vecteezy

Carnival mask silhouette by Muhammad Fathurrahman on Vecteezy

Skull silhouette by Carlos Avila on Vecteezy

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram

On Tumblr

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

While you wait for Her Many Masks to open in the Studio, here’s a sample of I Need A Miracle, another podcast Foggy Outline released this year, written by Matt.

I Need A Miracle is an original scripted audio drama where each episode is a prayer, some prayers are answered, and a prayer granted can upend the whole world.

Credits

Episode 1, A dream come true, stars David Holt as Michel Kildress, the Artist (they/them), with additional voices from the season 1 cast

Written and created by Matt Boothman

Directed by Robert Valentine

Music by Katharine Seaton

Sound design by Sarah Buchynski

Casting by Fiona Thraille

Recorded at Jukebox Studios

Broadcast assistance from Teresa Milewski

Cover art by Dionysis Livanis

Produced by Sarah Golding of Wireless Theatre for Foggy Outline

Transcript

A dream come true transcript

Support I Need A Miracle

If you enjoyed this episode, in your benevolence, I entreat you to:

Buy me a cuppa to fuel development of season 2

Follow I Need A Miracle @inyourbenevolence on Tumblr

Follow I Need A Miracle @in.your.benevolence on Instagram

Review I Need A Miracle on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser

Comment on this episode on Spotify

Share the I Need A Miracle homepage www.foggyoutline.com/ineedamiracle