Writing Alchemy

Writing Alchemy Unfamiliar Heroes 13 Summary

Meet D’Zân the weredragon druid in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. D’Zân is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy, and right now xe is studying creative problem-solving. Join xem for a surreal training exercise where xe swims through a sky full of sharks.

This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Magic Goes Awry

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Episode Transcript

In order to make these transcripts as accessible as possible, each one is produced in four formats: as an online post for access convenience, in a word document with a low vision friendly font (Veranda), in a pdf with a dyslexia friendly font (OpenDyslexic), and a low contrast blue on black pdf as an access option for people with migraines (Veranda).

Show Notes

Game System

Fay’s Links

Sage’s Links

Music and Sound Credits

The post Unfamiliar Heroes 13 – D’Zân and the Sky Sharks first appeared on Oppression Aware Podcast, Fairy Tales, and Games.

Writing Alchemy Episode 32 Summary

Meet D’Zân the weredragon druid in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. D’Zân is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy, and right now xe is studying creative problem-solving. Join xem for a surreal training exercise where xe swims through a sky full of sharks.

This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Magic Goes Awry

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Show Notes:

Game System

Fay’s Links

Writing Alchemy Unfamiliar Heroes 12  Summary

Meet Tarragon Songsteel the orc bard in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. Tarragon is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy, and right now they are studying creative problem-solving. Join them for a surreal training exercise where they attempt to retrieve an orb from a mysterious underwater maze.

This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Magic Goes Awry

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Episode Transcript

In order to make these transcripts as accessible as possible, each one is produced in four formats: as an online post for access convenience, in a word document with a low vision friendly font (Veranda), in a pdf with a dyslexia friendly font (OpenDyslexic), and a low contrast blue on black pdf as an access option for people with migraines (Veranda).

Show Notes

Game System

Fay’s Links

Robin’s Links

Music and Sound Credits

The post Unfamiliar Heroes 12 – Tarragon Songsteel and the Underwater Maze first appeared on Oppression Aware Podcast, Fairy Tales, and Games.

Writing Alchemy Episode 31 Summary

Meet Tarragon Songsteel the orc bard in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. Tarragon is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy, and right now they are studying creative problem-solving. Join them for a surreal training exercise where they attempt to retrieve an orb from a mysterious underwater maze.

This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Magic Goes Awry

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Episode Transcript

In order to make these transcripts as accessible as possible, each one is produced in four formats: as an online post for access convenience, in a word document with a low vision friendly font (Veranda), in a pdf with a dyslexia friendly font (OpenDyslexic), and a l

Writing Alchemy Unfamiliar Heroes 11 Summary

Meet Willa the gecko lizardperson rogue in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. Willa is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy and right now she is studying creative problem-solving. Join her for a surreal training exercise involving four hostile robots guarding an orb, surrounded by a massive pile of rubble.

This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Magic Goes Awry

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Webcomic Recommendations

Validation: This comic focuses on the experiences of a trans woman who is involved in a modern geeky gaming and comic book culture. It touches on big issues without getting bogged down into drama. Highly recommended!: http://www.validationcomic.com/

Rock and Riot: This is a completed comic that is a series of short, fast paced chapters with queer, trans, nonbinary, and asexual characters in a 1950s setting. It has strong POC representation. Highly recommended!: http://rockandriotcomic.com/

White Noise: This comic focuses on the lives of monsters in a fantasy setting that blends magic with real world technology. It has gorgeous art and strong queer, trans, and POC representation, along with some disability representation. Be aware that it does have significant amounts of intense content. However, there is space in the comic for characters to be supported around their trauma and to heal. That and the connections between the characters make the intense content in this comic easier to hand. (Text below each page transcribes the entire page. I find that reading it highlights interesting aspects of the comic.): http://www.white-noise-comic.com/

Tripping Over You: This is a cute modern romance and relationship comic centered on a male-male couple: http://trippingoveryou.com/

Tripping Over You dramatized on youtube (All of the dialogue is read by voice actors.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zZ2Ax7miCE&list=PLR_6hcnjqYCbWvNlLZJi27zlu3vDfpP_m

Questionable Content: This comic focuses on the lives of a large group of friends in a mostly modern setting that includes sentient AIs with android bodies. The current storyline has a large cast that includes respectful representation of trans and queer characters, as well as good representation of neurodiversity. (Personally, I don’t like the oldest stuff in the archive and I recommend avoiding the joke comics and guest comics the author posts on holidays as those tend toward violent humor.): http://questionablecontent.net/

Love Not Found: This is a cute scifi romance comic that is focused on a main male-female couple, which also contains significant time spent on other couples. It has significant queer, nonbinary, and POC representation. At times it touches on some intense content (mostly focused around a significant trauma in the past of the central character.): http://www.lovenotfound.com/

Xkcd: This comic is a bunch of individual science, tech, and nerd jokes. (Note that this comic has a few reoccurring characters, but it does not have a plot): https://xkcd.com/

Rain: This is a modern high school drama centering on a queer trans woman and her group of friends. There is also significant queer, nonbinary, and asexual representation. Note that there is significant angst, drama, and tough stuff that the teens here are dealing with. However, the connections between the characters and the loving community they create make this heavy content easier manage.: http://rain.thecomicseries.com/

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal: This is a really lovely comic about two gay guys that has some family conflict, that also is really beautiful and pretty chill for the most part. It is a comic about a modern day road trip that contains significant POC representation. http://tjandamal.com/

Never Satisfied: This high fantasy comic focuses on a large cast of characters with great queer, nonbinary, and POC representation. The plot has many sweet moments, but it also contains some intense content. There are multiple nonbinary main characters!: http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/never-satisfied

Episode Transcript

In order to make these transcripts as accessible as possible, each one is produced in four formats: as an online post for access convenience, in a word document with a low vision friendly font (Veranda), in a pdf with a dyslexia friendly font (OpenDyslexic), and a low contrast blue on black pdf as an access option for people with migraines (Veranda).

Show Notes

Game System

Fay’s Links

Oriana’s Links

Music and Sound Credits

The post Unfamiliar Heroes 11 – Willa and the Rubble Robots first appeared on Oppression Aware Podcast, Fairy Tales, and Games.

Writing Alchemy Episode 30 Summary

Meet Willa the gecko lizardperson rogue in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. Willa is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy and right now she is studying creative problem-solving. Join her for a surreal training exercise involving four hostile robots guarding an orb, surrounded by a massive pile of rubble.

This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Magic Goes Awry

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Webcomic Recommendations:

Validation: This comic focuses on the experiences of a trans woman who is involved in a modern geeky gaming and comic book culture. It touches on big issues without getting bogged down into drama. Highly recommended!: http://www.validationcomic.com/

Writing Alchemy Unfamiliar Heroes 10 Summary

Captured by rebels, our three heroes are fighting back. Malena, Adre, and Mariah have incapacitated the rebel captain and four guards. Now they are taking the fight into the shuttle bay, where they are causing havoc. Join them in the tenth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes as Malena, Adre, and Mariah attempt to escape the rebel ship!

Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with the Lasers & Feelings role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Lasers & Feelings

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Show Notes:

Game System

Fay’s Links

Meghan’s Links

Erin‘s Links

Jordan‘s Links

Music and Sound Credits

The post Unfamiliar Heroes 10 – The Renegade Starship Part 3 first appeared on Oppression Aware Podcast, Fairy Tales, and Games.

Writing Alchemy Episode 29 Summary

Captured by rebels, our three heroes are fighting back. Malena, Adre, and Mariah have incapacitated the rebel captain and four guards. Now they are taking the fight into the shuttle bay, where they are causing havoc. Join them in the tenth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes as Malena, Adre, and Mariah attempt to escape the rebel ship!

Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with the Lasers & Feelings role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Lasers & Feelings

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Show Notes:

Game System

Fay’s Links

Writing Alchemy Unfamiliar Heroes 9 Summary

In the ninth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes Malena, Adre, and Mariah have been captured by rebels. Join them as they meet the rebel captain and implement their desperate escape plan.

Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with the Lasers & Feelings role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Lasers & Feelings

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Show Notes:

Game System

Fay’s Links

Meghan’s Links

Erin‘s Links

Jordan‘s Links

Music and Sound Credits

The post Unfamiliar Heroes 9 – The Renegade Starship Part 2 first appeared on Oppression Aware Podcast, Fairy Tales, and Games.

Writing Alchemy Episode 28 Summary

In the ninth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes Malena, Adre, and Mariah have been captured by rebels. Join them as they meet the rebel captain and implement their desperate escape plan.

Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with the Lasers & Feelings role-playing system!

Unfamiliar Heroes is a new podcast series where people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or diverse minds use tabletop role-playing games to together create stories that center disabled, sick, and mentally diverse characters. In its core values this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.

Game System: Lasers & Feelings

This illustration depicts three characters, each from a different genre of story, and each with a disability. On the left is a black gnome archer riding in a chariot pulled by a large brown dog. The chariot has a chair in it so that they can sit instead of stand. In the middle is a Latina woman manipulating a tech device on her wrist as she begins to go invisible. She is wearing an air filtering mask of the type that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sometimes wear. On the right is a white muscular superhero wearing a very gay, blue superhero outfit. He has lightning crackling between his two hands, which are shaped atypically. This beautiful work of art was created the amazing Rose Adare!

Show Notes:

Game System

Fay’s Links