Your Rivers Are Wrong

The prelude to Season 2 - special guest Josh aka Moonroster joins the podcast for a full episode about building unique characters and, well, sometimes losing them! We address the nuance of writing characters without knowing their fates, and how that differs from those written in one-author literary media. The prompt at the end has us building a five-minute character, so stick around for that too! 

Josh's stream can be found at https://www.twitch.tv/moonroster, give him a visit!

"He takes a deep breath. The air fuels the burning furnace that churns in his core, an aching cry reverberating through his body. The traveler looks to the skies above. He'd been absent for too long, he muses quietly. The blights of his affliction forced him to depart from his home, his people. But now, when they truly needed him, he no longer had the luxury to hide. The flames continued to burn, trails of orange luminescence tracing the veins beneath his skin. A roar of embers brakes the silence as two massive wings, entirely alight, stretch from his back. The sky calls to him once more, and finally, only this once, would he answer."

In literature and in life we speak of inner demons...but what if those demons could speak back? Is corruption an opposing weight on the soul, or simply a manifestation of one's inequities? In our final episode of season one, we discuss the entrapping caveats of corruption, and inversely, the freeing aspects of flight and why we so revel in it.

Today's prompt: A ferry carries people who will mostly surely die, but the ferryman decides who completes the journey.

Stick around for the prompt, it's a fun one!

A bit thrown off-kilter from Daylight Savings, tune in as we talk about cool things like, what makes the world of Pokémon so popular? And what makes for an amazing ending to a book, movie or TV show? A pretty light-hearted episode with a dramatic finish. All here at Your Rivers are Wrong!

Music Credit: "Night on the Docks" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"A horn sounds in the distance. The black of the screen breaks in the middle to reveal the whites of clouds accented against a clear blue sky. The camera sweeps downwards, revealing a stunning landscape of mountains and fields, traced with roads that link the villages like strands of yarn. Of course, the crown of this land rests in the center, with ivory-white walls and gleaming gates. The kingdom of Kastell, the narrator proclaims grandly, is where are story takes place, and where it all began."

What makes a great beginning? Whether it be a movie, book or even a song, the first few moments of all of these has to grab the attention of its witness. We talk about the difference between slow and running starts, exposition and mystery. And we talk about kingdoms! The ever-so-classic setting starter, where a story is always waiting to unfold. All that and more on this episode of Your Rivers Are Wrong!

Worldbuilding Prompt: Write a chase scene, but only half of it!

"The sound of metal ringing against stone reverberates through the open air. Winds howl around the climber, chilling them even through many layers of clothing. She grits her teeth, fastening the piton into the cliffside crevice, preparing to pull herself just a few feet higher. Only hundred more to go, she thought quietly, glancing towards the quickly setting sun in the horizon. Would she make it, or would the beasts of dusk descend upon her before she finds her refuge. Another tug to fasten the rope around her waist. There wasn't a second to waste."

When a deep dive goes too deep! From writing women in literature, beauty standards, character bleeds and roleplaying advice, we bounce through a trove of topics tied to the bottomless hobby of storytelling. Celebrating ten episodes and three years since our first D&D campaign, join us as we take a trip down memory lane and sort out what we've learned along the way.

"The pair stepped away from the shadows of the palm trees into a marketplace audaciously warm and vibrant, every color accented by a pair of sounds and scents. Every corner of space demanded attention, a plea to togetherness that only a tightly-knit community could provide. For the first time in weeks, the elves lowered their hoods and walked the foreign streets as enamored guests. They looked at each other, small smiles worn on their faces. Perhaps here, they thought; perhaps this was where they could finally call home."

Romance - every story's gotta have it, right? Whether it be at the forefront or stepping along as a sideplot, we discuss what makes for a compelling love story. Afterwards, we tackle the topic of real-life cultures in fantasy settings, and how to handle the intersection between fact and fiction. All that and more on this episode of Your Rivers Are Wrong!

"Seven runes separated the dungeoneers from the treasure of a lifetime. It was an ancient language, older than the history of their archives, but not beyond recognition. The dwarf traced the sigils with her fingertips. Primordial? Sylvan? No, the accents that hung above each rune indicated otherwise. She muttered a few words under her breath, lifting her fingers to the sky, tracing sigils of her own in a luminous blue. The spell took hold, and her eyes glowed a similar sapphire. She glanced at the runes once more. Ah, it was Draconic. Naturally."

Languages and magic both stand the test of time as essential elements in fictional histories. Languages are often a key to the past, a blueprint for the understanding of foreign cultures unlocked only by the most studious of minds. Magic is, well, magic, presented in a myriad of different ways to otherwise shape the foundation of society as a whole. How can we as worldbuilders utilize them to define our creations, their limitations and possibilities? Tune in to find out.

"The brooding wanderer pulls at his coat, bracing for the incoming chill. A swift wind challenges him, buffeting the traveler with an onslaught of ice. He steps slowly through the growing layer of snow towards a destination in the distance. Where was he going? Somewhere? Anywhere? It didn't matter; so long as they had differences irreconcilable, he could never again stand by the side of his most loyal friend. Besides, it was time he stepped out of that great shadow. Things were better this way...right?"

What's a lancer, and what crucial role do they play in every story? And how does the weather shape a scene so dramatically, for better or worse? All this and more in today's episode of Your Rivers Are Wrong.

What makes a great villain? How do antagonists turn evil into appeal, and win over their audience? We also turn to Merle, our resident cartography expert, to break down the pieces of a perfect map, and the delicate balance between purpose and realism. Join us for another very fun episode of Your Rivers Are Wrong!