A strange visitor joins the CryptoNaturalist around the campfire for a pleasant, if one-sided, conversation.

Special thanks to Tim Sniffin for being the voice of The Transmission. Hear more of Tim on the Hello From The Magic Tavern podcast as the Mysterious Man, and find more of Tim's work at timsniffen.com

Oh, and subscribe to our new YouTube channel for upcoming bonus videos. We’re currently working on a CryptoNaturalist makeup tutorial video, which is just as strange as it sounds.

Hidden lore fiction by Madison Trupp. Madison is a Canadian writer and artist with a love for haunted fantasy, escapism, and standing under streetlights on rainy nights. She writes novels for children and blog posts about writing. You can find more of her work at www.madisontrupp.com.

The Cryptonaturalist is lost and then found in the usual place, a twisted scientist’s volcano lair.

Hidden lore poetry by Leslie J. Anderson. Leslie’s writing has appeared in Asimov’s, Uncanny Magazine, Strange Horizons, Daily Science Fiction, and Apex, to name a few. Her collection of poetry, An Inheritance of Stone, was released from Alliteration Ink and was nominated for an Elgin award. Poems from it have won 2nd place in the Asimov’s Reader’s Awards, and were nominated for Pushcart and Rhysling award. Find Leslie at www.lesliejanderson.com or @inkhat on twitter.

The CryptoNaturalist is missing, but Cassandra is on the case.

Hidden lore poetry by Emily Olorin Emily is a writer from Down Under (whether the depths of hell or Australia is open to interpretation). They are interested in body horror, sci-fi, and pretty poetry - preferably in combination. Further works can be found at: olorinwrites.wordpress.com

Today we visit an elusive cryptid that hides in plain sight and borrows human voices.

Hidden lore poetry by Alice Pow. Alice Pow allegedly saw Mothman in a Chicago neighborhood during the summer of 2017. She is a writer of prose, poetry, and the upcoming podcast Stone Soup for the Gut. Find her on twitter @Alicepow and if you like her work, feel free to reach out. She is always in search of the most abundant, yet elusive cryptid: friends.

We’re all made of star stuff, some of us more literally than others.

Lauren Dee was played by Julia Schifini. Julia is a podcaster, historian, and big fan of professional wrestling. She is the co-host of Spirits Podcast, a boozy tour of mythology, legends, and folklore, as well as a voice actor on several audio dramas. To find out more about her work, visit juliaschifini.com

Lauren Dee was named for Patreon supporter Lauren Dermody. Thanks to Lauren for her support.

Thanks to Phoebe Wagner for contributing the poem “Glacial.” Phoebe Wagner grew up in Pennsylvania, the third generation to live in the Susquehanna River Valley. She currently lives in Reno, Nevada with her tree-climbing husband Andy and their two cats: Mab and Mith. When not writing, you can find Phoebe at the nearest riverbank.

This week we visit home territory and visit a special grove of sassafras trees.

Hidden lore segment poetry contributed by Suzannah Dalzell. Suzannah lives on Whidbey Island north of Seattle, Wa where she divides her time more or less equally between writing and land conservation. Among the journals her work has appeared in are Flyway, Pilgrimage Magazine, About Place, Earthspeak and The Raven Chronicles. She is currently working on a collection of poems that explore the places where her ancestry bumps up against race, class and environmental damage.

What creature swims through the ocean of the sky? What could graze within the storm? I know the answer. Listen and you will too.

Poetry by Priyanka Sacheti. Priyanka is a writer based in Bangalore, India. Raised in Oman and educated in United Kingdom, she has been been published in Guardian, Art Slant, The Establishment, Gulf News, and Brownbook among others. She is presently an editor at Mashallah News. Her literary work has appeared in various journals and anthologies. She tweets @priyankasacheti1. A collection of her writing can be found at priyankasacheti.contently.com

When you find the dirt road with the unnamed creature, obey the rules, respect the emptiness, and make peace with the fact that not everything is there for your convenience.

Cara Ehlenfeldt is a writer, sound studies grad student, and co-creator of the upcoming audio drama podcast the Godshead Incidental. She originally hails from the New Jersey Pine Barrens, although she considers the forests of the Pacific Northwest to be her true home. The Indegogo campaign for Godshead Incidental can be found at: https://igg.me/at/godsheadpod (Launching on Monday, 9/17/18).

This week we explore safety, discover a very unusual snake, and receive an important update about squirrels.

Saker played the voice of Jed VanDorn. Saker is a cohost of It's All Been Done: A Barenaked Ladies podcast. It's two boys talking about almost anything but Barenaked Ladies. You can find it on your favorite podcast catcher. Saker also has a nerd hip-hop group called 2d6, online at 2d6music.com.

If you stop to check, it turns out that not all barns are barns.

The voice of Valentina Blackwood was played by Sarah Rhea Werner. Sarah Rhea Werner is a professional writer and podcaster who loves to help creators find confidence and success. She is a contributor to Forbes, and creator of the Girl In Space and Write Now podcasts. She currently lives in the Midwest with one husband, two rescue cats, and a ceiling full of spiders. Learn more at sarahwerner.com.

Hidden Lore Segment poetry contributed by Amber Bulinski. Amber is an artist and writer trying survive the thralls of the Sonoran Desert by respectfully fearing the heat from indoors. Find her on twitter @ResinQuotes