These Flimsy Rituals

C/W: Death, violence, memory loss

"It is hard, to rewrite what has been written. To change the thing completely is a long and weary task; harder still alone. A myriad of paths which must be followed to their ends, a detangling of possible and probable and maybe. The more you try to alter in that moment, the further out the tears will spread. Still.

With time, with patience. With purpose.

Yes.

I suppose it can be done"

As everyone converges on the Helctic Library, chaos rules. The opportunistic forces of the Satraphy, Splinters and the Conclave all make their moves. The monks, and our party, are caught in the middle.

Challa looks for a librarian, Bris turns down a free meal, Venz enters the vault and Belka rewrites the story.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon).

Featuring Elizabeth Simoens (@seasylphgames), Ryan Evans (@brainxray), Steve Martin (purple_steve), Thryn Henderson (@thairyn).

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.

Cover art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.

Sound clips from sagetyrtle and ienba at freesound.org

C/W: death, mild horror

You're crouched outside the lair of the Mustang, near the burned tree. Your friends are with you, exchanging nervous looks. Like you, they’re having second thoughts. Like you, they smell death in the air and wonder if it’s their deaths. Keen has a big piece of sheet metal with a rope across the back, because the Mustang breathes fire. Niamh has a rifle, because the Mustang is far too swift to catch. Yelena has the teachings, because maybe the Mustang can still be reasoned with. You have a knife because, in the end, someone has to cut the Mustang’s throat. It’s the witching hour, the moon is full, and fresh blood is on the ground. The Mustang will surely run tonight.

***

This is our Halloween Special, focusing on a younger Venz as he, and a group of snarls and weavers, wait warily beneath a full moon. They have come together to find and kill the Mustang, a snarl who has unravelled and sowed destruction over this land. For now though, they wait. Steeling themselves for their confrontation.

This is the second Shards and Fragments - one-shots set in Ryne, showcasing a different part of the world to Tiding. They're designed to be stand-alone, you can listen to them out of order. They're good entry places if you've not listened before. In this episode, we play a slightly modified version of The Mustang by John Harper.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon).

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray), Thryn Henderson (@thairyn) and Steve Martin (@purple_steve).

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.

Cover art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).

Sound clips from jgrzinich at freesound.org

C/W: Memory loss, snakes

"But there’s only so long you can go on doing heists and scores and schemes. It was like we were just snapping branches off of a tree, but what we needed to do was to chop that tree down. But what we needed was stop that tree from growing in the first place."

Carried by the chains, Belka and Venz are carried away from the threat of the Conclave's agents. Separated in the library, both get their chance to face their past. Meanwhile, arriving at the library, Challa stumbles into the bothersome Captain Aloma Labrencis and must try to find a way past. The caravan, led by Bris, come to Eulogy and find it worse for wear. 

Bris scouts, Challa shows off her meek side, Belka gets patched up and Venz bumps into old friends.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon).

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray) and Thryn Henderson (@thairyn).

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.

Cover art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.

Sound clips from sagetyrtle and fthgurdy at freesound.org

CW: Violence, memory loss

"My own mission progresses. I am closer to Venz than ever before. You may question the wisdom of focusing on him and not the Splinters, but I suspect a connection their. That their paths lead to the same place. If strength and conviction were the weapons of your other soldiers, patience is mine."

   -   Rugate Ullun Bakkal

Challa takes in a festival, Belka steals a book, Venz gets chained up and Bris finds family.

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray) and Thryn Henderson (@thairyn).

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.

Cover art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.

Sound clips from SoundCollectah, HunteR4708 and sunsharon0709 at freesound.org

CW: Violence, memory loss

“If you’re reading this, if you’re the one they’ve sent, this is my record. If this monk does their job right, after this I won't remember any of what happened. I don’t know who I’ll be, but I will be no threat to you. I beg you to take this book, and destroy it if that’s what you want, but let me live out whatever life I have left.”

 - Serrata Paige

***

A great rumble spreads from beneath the Heltic Monastery, causing its great dome to crack. The negotiations between The Obeyant Auscult Calsun, and Belka and Venz are put on hold. They rush to find the cause. The library of the Revenant Chorus is under attack.

Belka searches for Tiller Bract and Venz shows off a new trick.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon).

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray) and Thryn Henderson (@thairyn).

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.

Cover art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.

Sound clips from brainclaim, ogsoundfx and newagesoup at freesound.org

“I stand before our village’s council to relinquish my claim to become elder of the Derral family. I understand that my claim will be passed to my sister Aya, or otherwise the next person to come of age. I reaffirm my commitment to my family and will continue to serve them in other ways.”

 - Bris

***

In the aftermath of the Jackal Dorish's attack, the caravan tries to make sense of what happened. The wounded must be tended, sides taken and questions about Challa's part in this answered. Bris and Challa find themselves making decisions about the future of themselves and the caravan.

Challa loses a friend and Bris talks to a tent.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon). 

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray), Steve Martin (@purple_steve), Thryn Henderson (@thairyn) and Ziz Simoens (@seasylphgames).  

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.  

Cover art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).  

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.    

Sound clips from  Heigh-hoo, alexkandrell and kiefspoon at freesound.org

C/W: Violence

“Our practice is about untangling memory. Done well, the petitioner should have no sense of the memory they wanted rid of. This means that our work will often be tedious, we must cultivate patience. Learn to see that network of roots attached to each memory, and work slowly to pry each one free leaving stone intact.”

 - Notes on Our Practice by the Judgemental Observer Axenius

***

Eulogy sits at the heart of Cenja, a small town governed by the monks of the Revenant Chorus. At its centre is the Helctic Library, a monastery where they practice their trade - the taking of memories, to assuage the pain of the grieving. 

Escorted by Captain Aloma Labrencis, Belka reaches Eulogy with Venz not far behind. Meanwhile, the rest of the camping trip head back to the caravan, where trouble awaits.

Bris gets told off, Belka refuses to budge, Challa shows uncanny potential and Venz gets sassy.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon). 

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray), Steve Martin (@purple_steve), Thryn Henderson (@thairyn) and Ziz Simoens (@seasylphgames).  

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.  

Cover art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).  

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.    

Sound clips from newagesoup, elmoustachio and fthgurdy at freesound.org

"But to do this is to ignore all of the different forces in play. It ignores the Splintered Breath, that group of renegade snarls, already planning their audacious robbery of the monk’s library - willing to risk everything to find a trace of their absent prophet. It ignores those opposing them. Snarl-hunters from the Conclave of Sima, who would let the library go up in flames, if it meant catching their quarry. It ignores too the ambitions of the monk’s supposed allies, the Satraphy of Pheretrere, who, fearing the Conclave’s interference, moved to reaffirm the loyalty of the Revenant Chorus - by whatever means that would take.”

 - The Counterfeit God: A History of Corpus by Avyn Fiir Vorunt

***

After a night’s rest on Tiller Bract’s farm, trouble catches up to the camping trip. They find themselves caught between their melancholy host and people who would do them harm.

Bris babysits, Challa sings songs, Venz makes threats and Belka stands firm.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon). 

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray), Steve Martin (@purple_steve), Thryn Henderson (@thairyn) and Ziz Simoens (@seasylphgames).  

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.  

Cover art by Beck Michalak (@r_michalak). Tiding art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).  

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.    

Sound clips from HunteR4708 and kiefspoon at freesound.org

C/W: terminal illness, death, bugs

 - The memories of Tiller Bract recorded by The Distractible Sepult Charus

***

The camping group find shelter in the house of Tiller Bract, a rancher living near Eulogy. For the first time in a long while they are well-fed and rested.

However, like leaves in the gutter, gloom and memory weigh down this house. Sensing something strange, the group attempt to investigate the farm and their forgetful host.

Bris investigates, Venz takes it all in, Challa discovers strange animals and Belka learns about omelettes.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon). 

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray), Steve Martin (@purple_steve), Thryn Henderson (@thairyn) and Ziz Simoens (@seasylphgames).  

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.  

Cover art by Beck Michalak (@r_michalak). Tiding art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).  

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.    

Sound clips from SoundCollectah, HunteR4708 and sunsharon0709 at freesound.org

 “But, Corpus did not lie idle. It had begun to proliferate outwards from Carn Veskl; folded the power claimed from Slumber and Strael into its whole. And by spore and ice wind and tunnel, spread.

In the Sharrow it found easy pickings, the land defenceless following its remnant’s murder. Now in control of Strael’s frozen wake, it stretched itself over the territory.

Then, it turned East. Began to track those who had eluded it in the caves, the ones that had turned its powers against it. It put its newfound strength to the test against Cenja. And, while Duier did its best to hold back Corpus’ fury, its victory seemed an inevitability.” 

- Avyn Fiir Vorunt

***

Ahead of the caravan, the camping trip starts proper. Venz and Challa attempt to get answers from Strael; first though they’ll have to avoid Belka and Bris’ suspicions, as well as the attention of dangerous strangers.

Venz finds time for his hobbies, Belka cooks potatoes, Challa rides a moth and Bris goes chasing waterfalls.

***

Hosted by Adam Dixon (@adtidixon). 

Featuring Ryan Evans (@brainxray), Steve Martin (@purple_steve), Thryn Henderson (@thairyn) and Ziz Simoens (@seasylphgames).  

Produced by Thryn Henderson and Adam Dixon.  

 Cover art by Beck Michalak (@r_michalak). Tiding art by Allissa Chan (@formyths).   

Rules are available at adtidi.itch.io/ryne.    

Sound clips from jcarrascovazquez, xenonn, straget and Matucha at freesound.org