Side Passages

Season 2 of The Lair of Secrets kicks off with a bang (and the muttering of a few spells) as David and Ken interview Matt Forbeck and Marty Forbeck about their Shotguns & Sorcery for 5E Kickstarter. The Kickstarter funded within hours of its launch and runs until 10 p.m. EST, Tuesday, November 16, 2021.

Shotguns & Sorcery is a fantasy noir setting featuring a city, a dragon, and lots of zombies. It originated as stories and novels written by Matt Forbeck in which a zombie apocalypse destroys much of the world's population. The survivors gather at a distant mountain ruled by a dragon ... and beg the dragon to save them from the zombies. The dragon is able to fend off the undead long enough for the representatives of the various fantasy races to take refuge in the mountain. Over the centuries that followed, society evolved and advanced, rising to the level of early 20th technology.

Shotgun & Sorcery's initial role-playing game incarnation was for Monte Cook Game's Cypher system. The current Kickstarter provides a campaign setting and rules for the 5th Edition of the world's most popular fantasy role-playing game.

Topics covered during the podcast include:

An overview of the settingComparing and contrasting the Cypher and 5e iterations of the gameRunning a successful kickstarter and dealing with the challenges of fulfillment and shipping during the COVID eraWhat it's like for the father/son team to work together on projects like thisand more!

Related Links:

Shotguns & Sorcery for 5E Kickstarter.Shotguns & Sorcery: Cypher Edition bundle on Bundle of HoldingShotfuns & Sorcery on DriveThruRPGMatt Forbeck's websiteMatt Forbeck on Twitter

Feedback

Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. You can also find us on Twitch.

Featured Image

Cover art for the original RPG, done by Jeremy Mohler.

Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads.

Ken Newquist is a video game-completing machine who's probably staying up too late (again). Meanwhile, David Moore is no longer a forty-something geek dad.

Summer’s EndKen went to Philmont … but we dedicated a whole episode to that, so he won’t mention it again.For the first time in years … Ken finished his summer reading list … during the summer!Ken finished Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch) AND Fire Emblem Fates Birthright (3DS). Which means Ken is probably playing too much Fire Emblem…Higher EducationOur eldest kids are in college! Whoa.The Autumnal ChamberRead more games, play more gamesI picked up a ton of RPG books over the last year and a bunch of zines.Scum and VillainyAlien: Colonial MarinesMonster of the WeekFate of CthulhuGo to a game conventionRotate a new game into my lunchtime sessions?Work one into my regular gaming group?Start up a new group?Build rockets. So many rockets (started!)Ken just build the Skytracer rocket.Age AccelerationDavid is no longer forty something. Doesn't feel much different, but it does feel weird when he thinks that he has been living on earth for half of a century.More Books in the LibraryDavid also had lots of reading in the summer, not sure if he finished hislist but he is satisfied with the amount he read. Still more he wants to read, including Hugo nominations.The Game RoomGenCon 2021 - very chill and different from the before times con.Life has killed another of David's game. So he will have more time to focus on the Dyson Fall game?Lots of gaming books to dig into as well, with a few more on the way from Kickstarter!eXtreme Dungeon Mastery 2nd Edition - Tracy Hickman - KickstarterLazy DM’s Companion - Sly Flourish - Kickstarter"5 Room Dungeons" at RoleplayingTips.comBastion and Mythic d6 Core Rules at Khepera PublishingEberron Rising from the Last War by Wizards of the CoastExplorer’s Guide to Wildemount by Wizards of the CoastIt’s interesting reading these and following gaming culture. There are a lot of new things out there, very cool stuff, but also a lot of the same things from when David was just starting out that people are re-discovering since they are new to the hobby and think things are new. Which is very cool.The WorkshopDavid is prepping his shop for fall and winter craftingInsulation on the garage door. Not sure it will keep the heat in during the winter, but it has helped keep the heat out in the summer.David's on iteration five of a particular pen that is giving him trouble.The Room of RetrospectionPlaying GamesTales from the Loop (Episode 2)Tales from the Loop RPGKids on Bikes is an RPG tooBrindlewood Bay (Episode 6)Get the Brindlewood Bay game.Army Corps of Engineers: Special Ops (Fate Condensed) (Episode 11)Fate CondensedBrainstorming games!Loved the Army Corps of Engineers special we did. (Episode 11)Special TopicsRPG VaultPaging through the treasures locked away in our DriveThru RPG archives (Episode 13)Game Master HacksLooking at game master toolboxes and thinking about in-game hacks. (Episode 12)Summer reading listA look at Dave and Ken’s summer reading list (Episode 17)

Feedback

Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. You can also find us on Twitch.

Featured Image

Cover art for the Scum and Villainy role-playing game. Credit: Evil Hat.

I’m David Moore and I’ve been sailing in a boat, which is bumpier than a dirigible, and digging heavily into my books pulled from several of the libraries here in the Lair.

I’m Ken Newquist and I’m happily buried underneath the many books of my summer reading list.

Water-born Dirigibles

David is moving forward with ASA sailing trainingASA 101 complete!Erin and David studied and watched three of the newer Deathrace moviesSailing with friends on Lake Erie did not go as planned

Library 67

A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky ChambersHas some definite Firefly vibesMuch more about the characters rather than a larger plotWas good, thinking of picking up book twoSavage Legion and Savage Bounty by Matt WallaceRead the first one and immediately wanted to read the second oneFantasy civilization that is gobbling up all of the other countries around it to feed itselfEmergency Skin by N.K. JemisinSci Fi novella - a civilization sends back a scout to Earth to get materials that it cannot get. The scout encounters a surprise from a supposedly dead and dangerous planet.Highly recommended, warning - David's kind of politicsA Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. KingfisherA great young adult fantasy that has a carnivorous sourdough starter

The Garage of Doom

A vacation with some friends provided a good opportunity to satisfy David's Deathrace/Mad Max gaming with GaslandsThink: Fury Road meets Matchbox cars

Underworld Arcade

Hades - an addictive roguelike game with a good story

Dyson Fall Updates

David's working on oracles to help GMs or groups create where they will exploreStuck a bit on how to make the community building fun, interesting, and easy to track

Self-Healing Gaming Machines

Ken's Switch healed itself while he was a PhilmontNow he's playing far too much Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Summer Reading

Ken finished 11 of the 14 books on his summer reading listGained two books ...Alien: Bug Hunta collection of short stories involving Colonial Marines dealing various alien (but not Alien) threats. Includes one by Scott Sigler (who wrote Alien: Phalanx)If you like Aliens and Colonial Marines, you’ll like this book.Children of Ruin by Adrian TchaikovskyFollow up to Children of TimeFirst book was so good, I had to add the sequel to my list.Great world building book about first contact, accidental evolution, and overcoming barriers to communication.... but lost oneInhibitor Phase by Alastair Reynolds. The new Revelation Space novel was set to release July 27, 2021, but is now set to come out on October 12, 2021.

The Closet of Outdated Tech

Ken bought his daughter a new computer for college, so he gets her old Surface Pro.About 4 years old … but it can run Campaign Cartographer (so Ken can finally use that mapping Humble Bundle he got…)Might have enough heft to let him play a few PC games on Steam. If he can free up some disk space (only 8 GB remains…)

Ken made it to Philmont and back. That's it. Summer's done. Meanwhile, David traveled to a castle in Ohio, moderated a death race on the track in the Lair, and started on his quest to sail the seven seas.

Finally Philmont

Ken when to Philmont Scout Ranch, a high adventure camp in Cimmeron, New Mexico. You know, the place Ken's been talking about for the last year and more.What is Philmont?15 day trip (two days getting acclimated in Colorado, 12 days on the trail, 1 day traveling back) In Colorado, went to Pike’s Peak, Garden of the Gods, and whitewater rafting on the Arkansa River (Class 3 and 4 rapids)Then a 69 mile trek in PhilmontBase camp is 6,430 ft. The highest we got was about 10,500Amazing views - you can see for dozens of miles at a clipLegitimately dangerous.The crew got there in “monsoon” season, when it rains almost every afternoon.Lightning almost every day.It’s a desert, so it’s dry.But it’s raining a lot, so everything’s greenLegitimately hardHiking at altitude is difficult when you are a flatlanderDrank so much water.Good thing the crew trained.HighlightsAstronomy at Ring Place.Tomahawk throwing and black powder muskets at MirandaRock Climbing at Chase CowCowball at Chase Cow (it is definitely not volleyball).Sketching is fun.Some RPG ThoughtsThere’s a reason we don’t simulate every mile of an overland trek; it’s boring.Interesting landmarks that dominate the terrainMount Baldy is visible from much of northern Philmont. Everytime you get closer to it, and it gets bigger, it feels like you’re making progress.The Tooth of Time dominates the view at Base Camp. You know you’re at Philmont when you can see the Tooth.Interesting terrainTrails carved by floods.Are the floods a historical feature, or something a little more relevant?Unusual rock formations e.g. Garden of the Gods … what if was created by actual gods.Weather is dangerous.Remember to include it in overland treks (lightning, flash floods, massive hail, etc.)Weather transforms safe terrain into dangerous terrain. Think about that when a group fails a survival check to find a good camp.There are seasons. And some regions may have their own seasons you don’t expectUnexpected enemiesMini bears. Just as hungry as bears, but way bolder.

Outro

Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.

Featured Image

On this episode of the Lair of secrets, David reports out on his productive stay-cation, while Ken hikes, runs, swims, and bikes his way along the final stretch of the trail to Philmont (and he could really use a nap)

Back in the Printerium

David's new printer arrived - Prusa i3 - MK3S+He printed a D20 wall medallionDIY stream deck, will we stream our show live in the future?Multipass vaccination card holder

Dyson Fall update

Community buildingPlaytest group running wellDefinitely more Kipo and the Wonderbeasts than character churning 1st and 2nd edition *Gamma World, it still retains the same exploration fun.

Battery-powered Leaves

David' s getting a New battery for the Nissan Leaf

The Chamber of Turnings

Woodworking and pen turningTurned several pens for a friend Natalie, who also did our logo!Turned several seam rippers

Trail to Philmont

Ken's on the final stretch.The crew went on their last shakedown hike:17 miles over two days on the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey.Cold and rainy the whole time.We learned a lot. Like NeutronLad needs better rain gear, my rain gear is too loose, we need waterproof compression sacks for a sleeping bag, I may need a thermal sleeping bag liner, Philmont food will be hard on the stomach, and oh yeah, my boots aren’t nearly broken in enough. Next up:6 a.m. swim times with NeutronLad.Eating bad food now to prepare our stomachs for later.

Wilderness First Aid training

How to treat someone for an injury when you’re miles from anywhere (or more than a few levels deep in the lair...)Practical skills that you will hopefully will never use.Two 9-hour days that include training and role-playing (but no dice)

The Back Nine

Ken wants to get back to Disc GolfThrowing discs at metal baskets.He started playing disc golf in 2015 during a massive website redesign project.He stuck with it (though didn’t get much better)Ken's got some great courses nearby - Hackett Park in Easton, South Mountain in Bethlehem, Lake Nockamixon in Bucks CountyOne of the things that fell by the wayside with the pandemic.Hoping to get back to it now that folks are getting vaccinated.

The Archive of Games Video

Ken's playing Mass Effect Legendary EditionMastered versions of the 3 games.Does not come with any time to play it.Looks great, though it does meander a bit.Took Ken a while to get his Shepherd back.

Outro

Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.

Featured Image

Cover art for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. Credit: Electronic Arts

The Lair of Secrets get a super-science expansion as David and Ken take a look at the new super-sized edition of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. We also check out the new book You Can Do Anything Magic Skeleton!, talk about work-cations, venture once more into the outdoors, and delve too deeply (or not nearly deep enough) with the drawing/journaling game DELVE.

Trail to Philmont

Running!Camping!Backpacking!Physical Therapy!

Puppy S is coming

The puppy is a male. His name begins with S. We’ll know more soon!

Scientific Barbarian

A megazine dedicated to our glorious mutant, high-science, post-apocolyptic futue.Check out the kickstarter page.

DELVE

DELVE is Anna Blackwell's drawing game of dwarves digging deeply.Because the Lair is never deep enoughKen's foray's into the dungeon:First dungeon … killed by a skeleton king and his minions.Second dungeon … killed by green meanies.Third dungeon ... Ken realized he had to stop playing spade cards on the first level. Now he's on his third level, having defeated two giant worm-things and snuck past a slumbering dragon.

Work-cation

Remote-er remote work?

Baker’s Dozen Mystery in a Box

David played the game with his family while on work-cation.Check out the "Baker’s Dozen" Mystery in a Box webpage

You Can Do Anything Magic Skeleton!

Written by Chuck Wendig. Illustrated by Natalie Metzger.Check out You Can Do Anything Magic Skeleton on GoodReads.

And you thought The Lair of Secrets was big ...

David looks at the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks 5e conversion by Goodman Games.Multiple versions of the classic scifi-meets-fantasy module that show it's evolution from tournament game to its current incarnation.

Horizon Zero Dawn

David ventures into a world where you hunt mechanical animal hybrids and try to unravel the secret of past human mistakes in Horizon Zero Dawn (PC)

Dyson Fall Update

David's progress on Dyson Fall (Gamma World inspired game)Building mutationsLocal game this weekend

Omega Mart

Omega Mart commercialsIf Aperture Science ran a supermarket...

As the Pen Turns

David is turning more pens on his lathe.

Dead Phone, New Phone

Meet David's new phone, acquired after the unexpected, untimely, and tragic death of his old phone.

Meanwhile, in the Printerium...

David repaired his 3D printer ... and there's a new one on the way.Printers printing printers. What could go wrong?

Outro

Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.

Featured Image

Artwork from the D&D 5th Edition conversion of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Credit: Goodman Games

David and Ken stumble out of Episode 14's time shift to find the temporal demon known as "Daylight Saving Time" playing havoc with reality.

In this episode, they talk about the new video game Valheim, catch up on Alan Tudyk's latest sci-fi offering, venture down alternative timelines with Roger Zelazny's Roadmarks, encounter a librarian hive mind on a Savage Ringworld, discuss late-spring exercise options, and check out Apple+'s space race drama For All Mankind.

Valheim!

David and the crew are playing the heck out of this early access game (which is actually pretty good for an early access game)

David's Gaming Life

Playing with Owlbear Rodeo, a quick-and-easy virtual tabletop.Dungeon Scrawl, quick-and-easy dungeon generation. Noticing a theme here?Friday gaming and Sunday gaming - both doing well

Dyson Fall

David gives an update on his Gamma World-esque game, tentatively called Dyson Fall, with Mythic d6 as the base rules.Worked up several powers and have some fiction for the setting written

In the Streaming Theatre

Critical Role - last two episodes have hooked me (C2E126 & 127)

Getting Creative

David is trying out Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, which provides inspiration and prompts for being creative every day.

Resident Alien

No, we're not talking about the colony of Greys who've taken up residence in the 13th level of the Lair.It's a new SyFy TV series, based on a graphic novel of the same name, starring Alan Tudyk.Resident Alien on SyFy

Close Encounters of a Highway Nature

Student driver and car accidentsPhone dying

Doubling back through History

David is reading Roger Zelazny’s Roadmarks.

Savage Ringworld

Ken finished running his first arc in his gaming group's Savage Ringworld campaign for Savage WorldsHe's still getting his head around balanced encounters in Savage Worlds. (partly becuase they're playing higher-powered characters, partly because Savage Worlds doesn't care about balanced encounters)

At the Edge of the Map

Ken's lunchtime hexcrawl campaign reached the edge of the map.They’re finally heading out to the Caverns of Kazeal. Guess Ken better draw them.

Library 64

Saints of Salvation by Peter F. HamiltonFar-future transhuman space opera.

Back to the Gym (or something like it)

Ken got a bike rack for the Jeep … finally.He and his son re-upped their Y membership.Lots of swimming and biking in Ken's future as he preps for Philmont.

Beyond the Moonshot

For All Mankind on Apple+

Outro

Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.

Featured Image

The hexcrawl map for Ken's Scales of Truth campaign. Credit: Ken Newquist

It may be early fall in the current timeline, but in the Lair of Secrets winter's freezing grasp can still be felt. In this episode, Ken and David venture into the digital halls of the RPG Vault to see what hidden treasures can be found in their DriveThruRPG collections.

David's adding more books in LIbrary 64

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirEnjoyable, but not as fun as Gideon the NinthWill be reading the next book in the seriesDamoren by Seth SkorkowskySeth - YouTube gaming adviceFun book of urban fantasy, interested in the next onePenrick and the Shaman by Lois McMaster BujoldSecond novella of Penrick in the world of the Five Gods setting

Bullet Journaling

New bullet journal - first time doing the milestone of going from one journal to the next and reviewing the last year

In the Vandermore Game Room

David's gaming woes have seemed to be lesseningGames are going off more regularlyFound a group of old friends who had room in their groupJust ordered Burning Wheel after hearing about it for years

The Arcade

David is playing State of Decay 2 with friends and venturing into Cyberpunk 2077

The RPG Book Pile

Ken may have too many books...Scum and VillainyPublished by Evil HatKen bought it based on David's description - Blades in the Dark … IN SPACE!Tome of Beasts IIPublished by Kobold PressMore monsters for D&D 5e. So many more monsters...Icewind Dale: Rime of the FrostmaidenPublished by Wizards of the CoastHorror meets D&D in the frozen north of the Forgotten Realms.Destroyer of WorldsPublished by Free LeagueBoxed set adventure for Free League’s Alien Role-playing GameFate of CthulhuPublished by Evil HatTime travelers try to prevent the rise of a Great Old One. Once again, Ken has David to thank for wanting to get thisThose Dark PlacesPublished by Osprey RoleplayingIndustrial Science Fiction RoleplayingMonster of the Weekpublished by Evil HatThink Buffy, Supernatural, and other ongoing creature feature serials

The Chamber of Fate

Our Army Corps of Engineers: Special Operations Group campaign continues.Ken Got to run hisfirst game of Fate.He's still getting his head around world building via Aspects.It’s easy to fall back into simple skill checks (e.g. aid another - that’s a check that creates an Aspect - something that is true in the setting - that players can use). Instead of “make a skill check” in Savage Worlds or “you help them” (no check) in D&D.Mystery writing is hard.

Venturing into the RPG Vault

In which David and Ken sort through the unknown treasures lurk in their DriveThruRPG collections.Ken’s Vault590 items413 never downloaded172 core rulebooks250 fantasy titles165 science fiction titles117 horror titlesSourcesRelief bundles and Black Lives Matter fundraisers from the summerThe occasional KickstarterInteresting findsArchives of the SkySigils in the DarkCreatures of the Wastelands: A Menagerie of Mutants and MutationsTwilight 2000 (original edition)David’s Vault487 items254 never downloaded80 core rulebooks225 fantasy titles126 science fiction titles37 horror titles43 STL (3d printing) bundlesSourcesRelief and other bundlesKickstarterIndividual purchasesInteresting findsHocus Focus: A Dresden FiascoZine of Wondrous Power (out of print)A Spark in Fate CoreGodsend AgendaShaolin Squirrels: Nuts of FuryNinja Burger: The RPG

Outro

Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.

Featured Image

Cover art from a few of the RPGs we looked at during this episode. Copyright their respective publishers.

The Lair of Secrets returns as Ken and David delve into their respective stacks of books, contemplate new video game including Gloomhaven, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, and then talk about their favorite game master hacks.

Library 64 (or "Ken has more books than time")

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

More video game nostalgia. But not as good as the original (where “good” is a highly subjective term).

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy (Book I: Chaos Rising) by Timothy Zahn

Who cares what it’s about. More Thrawn!

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

Fourth book in the epic Stormlight Archives. Prime winter break reading material.

The Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

“epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet.”

The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton

Transhumans battle against aliens intent on “saving us” so we can meet their god at the end of time.

The Game Room

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

More JRPG squad-level tactical combat, this time for the Switch

Ken told himself he wouldn’t get it until he completed Fire Emblem: Fates: Birthright.. And then he misplaced his3DS…

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Ken's a huge Marvel fanboy, and right now he could use a video game that includes all his favorite heroes (including the X-men)

Meanwhile ... in yet another Library

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

David is currently reading this.

Alex Verus: Forged by Benedict Jacka

If Harry Dresden were British and could divine the future

Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold

Seems to be the last of the Miles Vorkosigan series

Penrick’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold

Novella - part of a fantasy series

The Transporter Room

David picked up the trial for CBS All Access for a week

Watched the two seasons of Lower Decks, felt like Futurama meets Next Generation

Inspired David to watch Discovery and have watched all the way up to the part 1 of the two part-er in season 3.

Finished Picard after skipping a few episodes. David definitely enjoyed Discovery and Lower Decks more. Picard just didn’t feel quite like Star Trek to him. .

A Haven for Gloom

David's been playing the Gloomhaven video game

Been playing for a few weeks now with some friends and I am quite enjoying it

It doesn’t replace sitting around a table with friends to play the board game, but it does have the advantage of doing all of the fiddly things for you

In early access, still a bit buggy and the interface could use some polish

Game Master Hacks

Check out the Game Master Box of Holding companion post for photos of the boxes in action.

Plano Cases for real-world gaming supplies - replaces crumbling IKEA box held together by (badly matched) nuts and bolts.

For D&D:

Plastic minis repurposed from Heroquest

Yellow and white crystals for “inspiration”, plot points, etc.

Red and blue gems to represent things. Like “paralyized” or “damaged”.

White and yellow gems to represent other things.

Pool of d6s and my “Ragnorak” travel dice. Plus a few more sets of dice, because who doesn't need more dice?

Index cards for initiative

Wet erase markers

Extra pencils, tape measures, and other misc. tools

Random dungeon dice by Inkwell ideas

Room for two or three hardcovers, depending how much I’m bringing with me to a game.

For Savage Worlds

A smaller case, which holds smaller rulebooks

Most of the same things as above (pencils, wet erase markers, etc.

Modern themed minis from Star Wars, Reaper, etc.

Poker chips for bennies

Oversized playing cards for initiatives

Power cards, status cards, and adventure deck (thanks Kickstarter!)

At the table

Index cards for initiative, global status indicators (“remember, everyone is blessed!”) and note passing.

Dice Cup of Shame (for those who forgot their dice)

GM screen for D&D (but strangely, not Savage Worlds)

Laptop for adventure notes and hit point tracking

Outro

Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.

Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast, where David's been tinkering in the dirigible hanger trying to get the old girl flying again, and Ken's just beamed back from halfway across the galaxy. He's fine. Mostly.

Library 67:Attack Surface by Cory DoctorowDavid's in the middle of this book. Having a hard time connecting with the character. The descriptions of the security precautions and all of the ways that they can be overcome are both interesting and also breaks me out of the book.Attack Surface on GoodReadsPenric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold, started reading it.I love her Miles Vorkosigan novels and saw that she had released this new book. Enjoying it so far. It’s about a boy who is on his way to be betrothed and comes upon an older woman dying. He goes to help her and her demon enters into him when she dies. In this world, those that have demons inside them are sorcerers.Penric's Demon on GoodReadsThe DarkhouseIt’s like a greenhouse, but with no windows and it’s underground, no we don’t grow mushrooms thereDavid doesn't have a lot to actually update this week due to the spores and his allergies to them. He was pretty useless for most of the week. He watched a lot of Netflix and Amazon Prime (Agents of Shield, Wynonna Earp, and others that he doesn't remember).Stepping into the teleportation cube (of course we have one of those):Star Trek: The Lower Decks is a fun take on how non-officers live and love in Star Fleet (and great inspiration for Guy). Features all your favorite Star Trek tropes, comically subverted (e.g. an episode about all of the lower deck crew padding their time estimates, another about the USS Cerritos’ “second contact” missions, the obligatory alien misunderstandings, etc.).Star Trek: Discovery is settling down into a more traditional, episodic format (though retaining serial elements). Love the show’s optimism, even after the ship’s been thrown into the far future and the Federation has been crippled by a mysterious event known as “The Burn”.The Grand KitchenKen Signed up for one of those meal-kit subscriptions. Two meals a week, heavy on the protein.Ken would like to cook more … but finding recipes, getting ingredients, and actually cooking defeated him.Ken and his wife are super busy with the kids, work, and life, with none of us really having the time we want to prepare meals. This may help (and so should the kids…).Brainstorming: Army Corps of EngineersIn which David and Ken brainstorm their upcoming Fate-powered cryptid hunting (or protecting or ... well, we're not quite sure what we're doing) campaign.Based on an idea that John Rogers(Leverage, The Librarians) mentioned on Twitter.Inspiration:Delaware Water Gap - Tocks Island DamCentralia (not Cetrona) mine fireMichigan dam collapseFriday the 13th: The SeriesNuclear bombs for engineering (aka peaceful nuclear explosions)The Immortal HulkFounding of the Army Corp of EngineersProject Blue BookEureka

Featured Image

Promotional artwork for Star Trek: The Lower Decks. Credit: Paramount.