Going Electrum on Storyteller's Vault... Can We Make Gold? (Breaking Down Trends)

In the past I have been a regular contributor to Storytellers Vault, and I've created supplements for a variety of games in both the World and Chronicles of Darkness. However, as I've talked about previously, one of the reasons I stepped back from doing as much with that platform as I had previously was that it just wasn't financially feasible for me. I take a 50% up-front pay cut whenever I write something for the platform (1 cent instead of 2 cents per word) and when you're writing tens of thousands of words, that adds up.

However, the other day I noticed something... several of my supplements have actually crossed the line into Electrum metal sellers (meaning they've moved at least 251 copies through the One Bookshelf websites). It was actually a surprising number of them. And since folks seemed to enjoy the break down I put out in An Autopsy On My Recent Deal Of The Day, I figured I'd take a moment to talk about what the numbers are telling me, and what this may mean for future supplements from me in the future.

And if you have opinions, there's going to be a way for you to contact me directly!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

What Do People Respond To?

This is the question that every creator asks when they put something together, and throw it out into the void to see if it can find an audience. More specific aspects of this for Storytellers Vault include:

- What game line gets the best response?

- What format do people respond to?

- Do people prefer mechanics over flavor, or the other way around?

- Is there a particular subject that seems to be more popular than others?

Well, let's see what the numbers say, shall we?

To begin at the beginning, Werewolf: The Apocalypse has the most Electrum sellers for me. Whether it's the 101 Savage Kinfolk collection I wrote for the Savage Age, or the more "normal" kinfolk supplements I wrote many years ago, it's one of my most popular games. However, interestingly, only the 100 Kinfolk supplements for Glasswalkers, Get of Fenris, Silver Fangs, Bone Gnawers, Shadow Lords, and of course the Black Spiral Dancers have made it over that Electrum line. And while I've written supplements for things other than NPCs, those seem to be the supplements that have moved the most copies for this game.

The second-largest number of Electrum sellers comes from Changeling: The Lost. And unlike Werewolf, the offerings here are a little more diverse. The high sellers include: 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits And Oddments To Find In The Hedge, Buyer Beware: 10 Goblin Markets, 100 Hobs To Meet In The Hedge, 100 Strange Sights To See In The Hedge, and 100 Frailties. While there's a mix of mechanics and flavor in there, what seems very clear to me is that (for Changeling, at least) my top sellers are for things that concern the Hedge. And after all, why wouldn't they? It's a huge, constantly-shifting realm that's full of possibility, and a lot of Storytellers need some kind of starting point to help the Hedge take a more concrete shape in their games. While I've put out far more supplements for Changeling than just these 6, the ones that focus more on mortal world NPCs, on whispers and rumors, or even on the True Fae themselves just don't seem to be as popular.

Lastly, while I've written supplements for several other splats, the only other one that's reached Electrum status is 100 Resources and Rumors To Find On SchreckNet for Vampire: The Masquerade. While I have a handful of other supplements for Vampire (mostly focused on ghouls, but with another providing a list of potential havens), this seems to be the only one that's remained popular. And while it seems to go against the grain of the previous two games, where the most popular supplements seemed to be widely applicable overall, this supplement seems to be doing well exactly because of how specific it is. Which, when one considers that Vampire is the largest game in terms of the sheer amount of supplements and overall content made for it, makes sense from a marketing perspective.

So What Does All Of This Mean?

Sadly, even going over the numbers and successes, there is no clear formula for writing a supplement that is guaranteed to do well. Everything is a roll of the dice, and nothing is certain when it comes to popularity or sales.

With that said, however, the trends that I've noticed are:

- Supplements that provide support for the vague other-worlds of games often do all right

- Supplements that are hyper-specific to a part of the lore can do well

- Supplements that have broad use for Storytellers and players alike often do well

- Supplements in a complete series/bundle tend to do well (once the series is complete, at least)

I'm hedging my language a bit (if you'll pardon the Changeling pun) because even following these simple findings don't guarantee good sales. After all, Dark Reflections: 50 Sights To See In The Penumbra for Werewolf never even broke Copper, even though it's functionally very similar to supplements I wrote for Changeling. Is it the format? The fact that more Werewolf games are focused on exploring the real world and its plots instead of diving deep into the Umbra? Is it there are more Umbra-based resources, whereas the Hedge was still big, vague, and largely undefined for so long? It could be any or all of those things... but there's just no telling what.

I've often compared writing RPG supplements to gazing into a crystal ball. I can see some vague shapes and patterns, but there is no clear reception. So at the end of the day, I try to follow what trends I can, and to incorporate past successes... but there's often no way to know for certain which things are flukes, and which things are actual trends. And worse, there's no knowing how long a trend will hold true before what was once a solid investment of time and energy simply stops being popular with players.

How To Make Your Voice Heard

I've often said that to make up for the loss in initial income for a Storytellers Vault supplement, every, single one I release would need to hit Gold status (501 supplements). Not a single one of the things I've written out of the 40-something supplements has done that well... yet, anyway. As such, I am taking an initial loss on writing these... I repeat this to drive home to folks how much I love these games, and how refreshing it can be to dip back into them from time to time.

But it is a lot easier to work on more of these if I actually have a definitive idea what it is folks out there want to see more of.

 

Now, if you're someone who has a strong opinion of what you'd like to see me (or Adrian) release for future Storytellers Vault supplements, here's what you need to do. Go to the video I linked above. Leave a comment telling me what you want as specifically as you can (because saying, "I want more stuff for Mage," is less helpful than something like, "I would like a supplement for running the awakening scenes for new mages in Mage: The Awakening."). Once you've left your comment, toss the video a like, subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel if you haven't, and share the video around so we can get more people's opinions.

These actions accomplish several things. First and foremost, the publisher gets pings when new comments are left, so this means you're going to get a direct line to us. It lets us see at a glance what people want us to work on. Also, the more views, comments, etc. a video gets, the more likely it is that the algorithm boosts our signal, and the more people will find out about who we are, and what we do.

Because Storytellers Vault might be a relatively small pool, but I'd wager a majority of folks who play these games have no clue who I am, who Adrian is, and that Azukail Games even exists. So helping shine a spotlight on us, while also sending us clear messages about the kinds of games we should be working on, will help a lot!

Lastly, I do still have a pair of supplements that haven't even hit Copper status yet. So if you have a moment, consider helping these two get their feet under them:

- Dark Reflections: 50 Sights To See In The Penumbra (Werewolf: The Apocalypse)

- Agents and Assets: 100 Personnel and Contacts For Task Force VALKYRIE (Hunter: The Vigil)

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or the ongoing audio drama channel The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Monstrous Appearances - Symbolism and Story

Iconic creature design sticks in the imagination, and can create an undeniable mood among players. However, while it's easy to just throw in shock for shock's sake, monsters (and even characters) can be far more impactful if you take some time to ask what their appearance actually means, and why it is the way it is. Because while not every monster is a metaphor, those that are tend to linger in the imagination long after an encounter is over.

Ask what the monster represents, and how that manifests.

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Examples of Symbolic Design

Sometimes a monster is just a monster, like a shrieking goblin, an animated skeleton, or a hungry land shark. However, monsters whose appearances, or even their abilities, are part of their lore and story tend to be significantly more flavorful... and the same rules apply for your characters as for the things they might have to fight.

For one of the most iconic examples of symbolism in a terrifying creature, consider the ghost of Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol. Marley is often played for laughs, but take a moment to consider him. He's twisted, broken, still dressed in the rags of his funeral finery, and bound with chains whose burden he can never escape. Chains that are not just a physical weight, but an ectoplasmic repository for the guilt, pain, and shame he must carry for his afterlife, giving him no respite from the harm he caused.

It's simple, it's straightforward, and with the right description, is terrifying. But if you add a few details (perhaps a belt of dangling, bloody coins around his waist, each one a slug for a person whose death he caused, or mentioning the fine watches, gems, and sacks of coin tangled in the chains that he coerced from people out of greed) the torture can become personalized. Not only that, but if it's turned into something concrete, then that knowledge leaves players taking in the big picture of just how heavy the ghost's burden is, realizing the sheer amount of harm he's done no matter how pathetic and wailing his cries are now.

This kind of symbolic thinking and description can add weight to your bestiary, your encounters, and even to characters (if they get to play people who have been altered, such as in Changeling: The Lost).

Rather than just listing more examples, though, I'd like to draw your attention to two properties that have done this rather well.

First on the list is Silent Hill. While the series on the whole at least tries to put symbolism into its monsters (since they're meant to be direct interactions with the psyche of those who witness them), the second game is really the one most people think of when it comes to the high bar. From the horrifying, unstoppable force of Pyramid Head (a stern, ultra-masculine figure here to punish the protagonist for his transgressions), to the nurses (the hideous face atop the sensual body speaks to guilt, confusion, and mixed needs of the protagonist), to the twisted bed monster (something representing intimate abuse as it twists together sex and violence into a horrifying whole), the creatures are universally unsettling. What really makes them sink into one's memory, though, is the fact that they're not just random design elements thrown together to be weird, but they are manifestations of particular traumas.

All the best monsters are just mirrors showing us the worst parts of ourselves in ways we don't expect to see them.

As with Silent Hill, Fear & Hunger is a horror game with disturbing visuals and horrifying monsters. In the second installment of the franchise (a terrifying take on this setting's first World War), the characters find themselves contestants in a terrible game of death. Even worse, the grinning moon is twisting those caught in its light into terrible, monstrous versions of themselves... horrible forms that represent their dark secrets, personal fears, or which twist them out-of-true.

The child soldier becomes a horror known as the Weeping Scope, a terrible creature with an organic weapon for a head. He is molded into what he tried to avoid; a living weapon with a gun for a face that destroys whatever it looks at, unable to have purpose beyond bringing death. The boxer who is afraid of what might happen if he loses control of himself turns into a terrible giant, his hands fused into pummeling pistons, unable to think or speak, lost to the pure brute fury that always bubbled inside of him. The wheelchair-bound academic is twisted into a biomechanical horror referred to as the Mechanical Dance, a stiff, machine-like horror resembling an iron maiden, representing the human trapped and bound within a thing that was supposed to be her aid, but which has become her prison.

Whereas the monsters in Silent Hill are pure representations of twisted psyche, the moonscorched of Fear & Hunger begin as humans with their own histories, flaws, and stories, and we see how they're warped and changed. This gives us a unique look at who they are as humans, before their inner selves (or at least their struggles and private horrors) are manifested by the moon god (or the other forces at work in the dark festival). The ability to follow the path of transformation can really drive home the horror, and how something so monstrous can represent turmoil and trauma in a way that's unsettling, but understandable when one thinks in terms of symbolism.

It Can Take Practice (And Won't Be For Everyone)

Symbolic monsters, threats, and even player characters are not going to be to everyone's tastes. There will always be players and Game Masters who want things to be more straightforward, and who aren't interested in adding extra layers of meaning to the game. This is a matter of matching the right table to the right game, and ensuring everyone is onboard, and looking for the same kind of experience.

Everything else just comes down to practice.

But what does it mean?

Whether you're designing creatures from the ground up, or merely deciding how to present them, take a moment and ask what their appearances and abilities might mean, and what unnatural reflection one might find in them. Perhaps it's a demon with eyes and claws like mirrors, representing its ties to pride or envy. It might be whipstitched flesh golems that were purposefully perverted into walking horrors, each representing a different facet of the maker's personality. It could even be a sorcerer with a scaly hand he conceals beneath a gauntlet; something representing his infernal bargain that grows and grows as the darkness within him tries to consume him physically, as well as spiritually.

However you choose to mold your monsters, ask what story these visuals are telling. Because even if players don't want to dig beneath the surface, symbolism can often stick with us even if we can't put into words exactly why it clings to our memories.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or the dark sci fi saga of The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

What Made Your Changeling What They Are? (Changeling: The Lost)

"You ever wonder about us?" Killian asked. The hulking wolf's nose leather twitched as he sniffed, and he idly drummed his claws on the bench's metal supports.

"No," David grunted, pushing the bar up inch after trembling inch. The ogre sucked a breath over his jutting lower jaw, and lowered the weight one more time.

"Seriously, though," Killian asked, his golden eyes falling to David's elbows as he placed his own furry hands just below the bar. "We were taken on the same day, kept by the same Keeper, treated almost the same... why are we so different?"

David snarled, shoving the weight up, and slamming it into the rack hard enough to make the plates bounce. He sat up, snatched his towel, and wiped at his face. He stood, blotting out most of the light on that side of the room as he did so.

"Almost ain't the same," David said, pointing at the bench. "Your turn. Twelve reps."

We are what we are made to be.

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Nature Versus Nurture

While I took a bit of a break from the Chronicles of Darkness, I did have a Changeling: The Lost release a little while back with Like A Good Neighbor - Portraying True Fae in Your Chronicle. However, that dip back into the waters got the gears in my head turning, and it made me ruminate on something that I feel a lot of players overlook when it comes to their character's Seeming in these games.

Because yes, mechanically, you choose a Seeming that gives you access to the powers and abilities you most want for your character. However, what turns a human into a particular kind of changeling isn't just about who they are as a person, and what is revealed about them by fae magic and the Wyrd; it's also (at least in part) dependent on their treatment at the hands of their Keepers.

You merely carve away everything that isn't the statue inside the marble.

For example, say a Gentry has two people who are very alike before them; socially adept humans who are good at making friends, each of which has a force of personality all their own. One of them, as expected, ends up as a Fairest... but the other doesn't. The other finds themselves becoming a beautiful Beast. While it might be due to an inherent difference in the two people (the former attempted to be an equal participant in conversations and riddle games, while the latter merely fawned over the Keeper to try to keep themselves safe), it could also be the way the Gentry treated the two of them. The former's behavior meant the True Fae was intrigued and engaged, verbally sparring with the mortal, the conversations rubbing off on them. The latter, though, was merely giving passive attention, and treated more like a yapping dog than they were someone deserving of the Gentry's attention and respect, minor though it is.

Say the Gentry punished two of its kept humans. They were very similar, but one was punished for actions they actually committed, making it clear they were being trained for a purpose. That leads them to become a hound; strong and fierce, but reacting without thought to commands that have been drilled into them. The second person, though, is punished cruelly, or even unnecessarily, twisting the knife in their wound. That hatred, that malignance, leads them to become an ogre, instead.

And even if a True Fae is purposefully reducing different people into the same kind of changeling, who is to say the methods and treatment don't produce different results? Like how you might take two ingots of the same raw material, but turn them into radically different alloys? Even a pair of twins, put into different scenarios and situations, would end up with utterly unique fates. For example, the True Fae might take one brother, and keep him on a mountaintop where the wind eventually blows him away one layer at a time, until wind is all he is, turning him into a gusting gale. The other brother, just as stubborn and just as willful, might be buried deep beneath the earth. And the longer he pits his will against the rock and mud, the more he becomes a part of the earth, until his skin becomes craggy, and his blood slows to thick, pumping clay.

Thematic Interactions Are What Make Changelings Unique

While it's perfectly within the bounds of the game to have a character who just doesn't remember how they became what they are, or to have someone who was simply cursed or changed by a True Fae into the form they have now, digging a little deeper into why and how your character became what they are can add extra elements to their story. Did the Gentry merely reveal their true nature, imbuing it with magic, making this form an even truer version of who the changeling was in their soul? Were they twisted out of true as the Gentry attempted to force them into a shape and being that didn't fit them? Or did they, through their own actions and behaviors, end up sealing their fate?

Again, these aren't necessary parts of a character... but they can act as seeds that will grow throughout a chronicle, giving you deeper interactions, and more impactful story!

And, lastly, I'd recommend picking up your own copy of Like A Good Neighbor, as well as one of my older supplements 100 Frailties to help you build these necessary weaknesses into your player characters and antagonists alike!

I would also recommend checking out the following free articles about this game:

- The Chessboard Motley

- A Little Taste of Glamour

- 5 Tips For Running a Changeling: The Lost Chronicle

- 5 Questions Every Changeling: The Lost Player Should Ask (About Their Characters)

- 5 Films You Should Watch To "Get" Changeling: The Lost

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Shards of a Broken Mirror: Short Scenarios For The Chronicles of Darkness (Future Potential Project)

The world is a dark and terrible place, but the horrors we know are just the icing on top of the cake. Those who manage to sink their teeth in, and to chew down to the bone, learn there are even worse monsters out there than live in your wildest nightmares. Creatures of promises and lies that will steal your soul for one more day's grace. Dead things that drink the blood of the living to endure an eternal night. Beasts who wear the skin of men, and creatures who defy death and the natural order with every breath they take.

The setting of the Chronicles of Darkness is vast and rich... but having so many options can often lead to decision paralysis among players and Storytellers alike. That's why in the back of the base book (page 196) they provide you with a bunch of short, one-shot style stories to help you get your feet wet. These scenarios can be played individually, or they can be strung together to build an entire chronicle out of.

And it's a really good idea... my question for you all this week is would you like to see additional supplements covering things like this? Perhaps for more than just the God Machine Chronicle that mortal characters are supposed to tackle?

Because there's always fresh approaches one can take with this setting.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Broken Mirrors and Distorted Reflections

The Hagiography in the Chronicles of Darkness core book provides a smooth, workable frame, giving the Storyteller the bare bones they need to run a short session in roughly two pages or so. These 20 scenarios can either be run independently, or Storytellers can use them as seeds to build a larger, collective plot. Or the third option, they work as the connective bits between larger story arcs, where characters have finished one story, but the ST may not be quite ready to begin the next arc and needs something to keep players involved while they finish plotting.

Like I said above, it's a solid resource, and a particularly good thing to include in the core rulebook so that all STs have access to it. However, while it's possible to adapt these scenarios to other spheres in the Chronicles of Darkness, something that might be a difficult challenge for a gang of mortal investigators is probably not something that's going to be a problem for a cadre of mages, a motley of changelings, a coterie of vampires, and so on, and so forth.

Which is where I wanted to propose a project for my readers this week. Would you be interested in collections of these "story shards" for use with the other parts of the Chronicles of Darkness? Or even going back to the old World of Darkness and providing similar collections of ideas for Storytellers to use there?

Not too dissimilar to this project, actually...

If this is an idea that interests you, then consider leaving a comment and telling me the following:

- What Game Should The Shards Be For? Changeling, Hunter, Geist, and so on.

- How Many Shards Should There Be? Please choose 5, 10, 15, or 20 shards.

- Should The Shards Be Location Specific? Cities are a traditional location for this game, but should the shards be location neutral, or all tied to a particular place?

Whether you want to leave your comments below on this blog, reach out to me on any of the social media profiles I have listed in the end of this entry, or even leave your comments over on YouTube where my publisher is sure to see them (throw them in the comments of this video, World of Darkness Boot Camp, so that way I can find them all in one place), please make sure you weigh in on this week's topic.

Your feedback is important because Storyteller's Vault projects are something of a risky move on my part. They're a lot more restrictive than my general purpose RPG supplements, and they pay a lot less up-front for me, which can be a problem with how tight everything is right now. So while I think this is a really great idea overall, if folks would rather see me put together more simple lists like 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments To Find in The Hedge for Changeling: The Lost, 100 Resources and Rumors To Find on ShreckNet for Vampire: The Masquerade, or even 100 Shadow Names (And Their Meanings) for Mage: The Awakening, I'm more than happy to put a few of those projects on my work desk instead if that's what my readers would prefer.

This is sort of a Choose Your Own Adventure, and I wanted folks to make their thoughts heard if they had strong feelings on this subject!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

I've Got Over 200 TTRPG Credits Now! (Technically 201)

Well, I knew this day was coming sometime in 2025, but with all the things going on it seems that I overshot this celebration just a bit. In my defense, though, there was a bit of a glitch in Drive Thru RPG last time I tried to look, so this little occasion slipped past me.

However, it seems that I've finally crossed the finish line I set for myself, and I've now got over 200 TTRPG titles with my name in them! And, because I missed the deadline by a week or so, it turns out I actually have 201 titles! So, bonus celebration, I suppose!

If you could, please give me a single "Huzzah!" under your breath. Thank you.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

One Goal Scratched! (But I've Got 2 More Left To Go)

For folks who were watching the Azukail Games YouTube channel, then you may have come across the video I made earlier this year where I set some of my goals. And while I wanted to try to get my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic to at least Silver metal status in terms of sales for Drive Thru RPG, and I wanted to try to release 5 starting missions for the game to give players and Game Masters plenty of options, the third goal was the one I was certain I was going to clinch.

I wanted to have my name in the credits of at least 200 TTRPG titles by the end of 2025... and huzzah, I did it!

So, what was I working on that finally got me over the hump? I'm glad you asked!

In case you didn't see it, #200 for my titles was my Storyteller's Vault supplement Like A Good Neighbor: Portraying The True Fae in Your Chronicle for Changeling: The Lost. As the title suggests, this supplement is all about adding a little depth and flavor to the most powerful entities in the game, but it was also the first time I tried a long-form supplement that talked about Storyteller advice instead of delving into a list of items, NPCs, and so on for the Storyteller to make use of.

And if you haven't grabbed it yet, I highly recommend it!

The other title, which dropped this past weekend, is the first sci fi horror piece that I've put out in a while. I'm back to the list format with this one, but it's 100 different scenarios that a crew might run into on a stranded starship. From deadly aliens, to insane robotic staff, to quantum time loops, there are so many things that your players might have to deal with... so check out Beyond The Black: 100 Dread Scenarios on Stranded Starships!

And if you don't have this one yet, you know what to do!

So, I wanted to take a moment this Monday to celebrate making this goal. However, if you really want to make my day, consider picking up copies of these two titles, or any of my others from Drive Thru RPG! Pushing these two up into Silver metal status, or beyond, would be a great way to start regaining my momentum so I can push forward and get a few more titles cranked out by the end of the year!

And, of course, I've already got some ideas for where I want to go from here... because there ain't no rest for the wicked, and I can't afford to sit on my laurels for long.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Mr. Nowhere Talks About Radio Free Fae in This Latest "Changeling: The Lost" Video Essay

There are those among us who have been to a world that doesn't exist... a place mentioned only in fairy tales. A place ruled by petty tyrants and mad gods, most never get the chance to escape... those who do, and who manage to make their way back to the real world, find themselves changed. With their transfigured forms and broken minds, they have become something else... something other. These Lost band together, though, and they fight for themselves and their communities.

The voice of these communities, though, often comes from the members of the Winter Court. An irony for the Silent Arrow, they use secretive broadcasts to help keep others like them infored. Known as Radio Free Fae, these broadcasts are the early warning systems of many freeholds.

And this week, Mr. Nowhere finally breaks his wall of silence to tell you all about this operation.

Welcome back, my friends and fellow travelers on the trods...

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

A Glimpse Into What's Coming For Windy City Shadows

For folks who've been watching my videos over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, you've likely heard me talk about my upcoming Windy City Shadows podcast project. And while I talked about it a while back in Ask Me Anything About "Windy City Shadows" A Chronicles of Darkness Podcast, the general gist is that season 1 is going to be what you'd end up with if John Wick was a changeling.

But the host of the show who handles our intro and outro is the Radio Free Fae DJ known only as Mr. Nowhere... and if you haven't heard his previous broadcasts, he's the voice of the latest video essay that just dropped on the channel!

While I'm still elbow-deep into writing season 1 (working on episode 4's script at the time of writing), I've wanted to start dropping occasional pieces of lore, and to give listeners a preview of some of the characters they're likely to meet as the season unfolds... and I thought I'd start with this simple video essay featuring our first host.

And if you want to help me keep making videos like this, while also revving us up so that I can get this podcast off the ground, please do the following things:

- Subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel

- Watch this video essay, upvote it, and stay until the end for the secret outro, and leave the suggested message in the comments section

- Share this blog entry, and/or the video, on your own social media! Particularly on Facebook, as the site has made it exceedingly difficult for me to actually share links to anything

And, lastly, if you want to catch a few more glimpses of Mr. Nowhere in some published work I've put out, I'd recommend picking up the Changeling supplements 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings as well as 100 Strange Sights To See in The Hedge.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Table Talk. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Would You Like To Hear Broadcasts From Mr. Nowhere? (Changeling: The Lost Updates)

As most of my regular readers know, I'm currently elbow-deep in working on a fiction podcast for the Chronicles of Darkness setting. This will be a continuation of many of the short fiction pieces that have already appeared on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and there will be returning voices (as well as returning characters) from some of those stories!

However, the host of the show is someone a lot of you may have missed. The faceless, enigmatic voice on the airwaves, Mr. Nowhere. While there's little enough known about this elusive Winter Courtier, Mr. Nowhere could be making an appearance in other videos quite soon... assuming, of course, regular readers are interested to hear what he has to say.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Where You Could Hear Mr. Nowhere (Cast Your Vote Today!)

While Mr. Nowhere is going to be the voice of the intro and outro of each episode (as well as the commercial break in the middle of each episode, assuming we can find ourselves some proper sponsors!), this podcast is going to take a lot of behind-the-scenes work and time to pull together. As I mentioned in previous updates, it's likely going to take me months just to finish writing all the scripts, firming up the details, etc., before I can start getting people together to record.

But to sort of warm up the crowd and get people interested, I had a couple of smaller videos I'd like to make. My hope is that they'll catch some people's attention, and get more folks to tune-in when the full podcast starts dropping episodes.

One of my first thoughts is to put together a second video essay for Changeling: The Lost that's all about Radio Free Fae. This Winter Court organization is used to broadcast coded messages, and to share information among the Lost in ways that can be vital to the community... and Mr. Nowhere is a member of this particular organization, covering the Windy City as well as the greater Chicagoland area with his broadcasts. As such, this video essay would have a much more meta tone than previous ones have, allowing a character from the setting to give the audience the run down of who he is, and what the organization he represents does.

However, that's just one possibility for where folks may hear Mr. Nowhere next!

In addition to that video essay, I was also thinking of providing some short character bios in order to give listeners insight to season 1. These might be particularly useful for those who are not Changeling: The Lost players, and who would like a brief cliff notes dossier so they aren't left scrambling to pick up context of what's happening when the show starts. From discussions of major players in the seasonal courts that make up the changeling power structure in the city, to persons of note, to insights into recent events for the main cast, I figure this might work as a gentler introduction to the upcoming story.

Lastly, Mr. Nowhere is likely to be heard on the official trailers I want to make for season 1 of Windy City Shadows. I'm planning on making somewhere between 1 and 3 of these videos which will be short little samples of what's to come that will (fingers crossed) get more listeners interested in the show as we get closer to its official debut.

What Is Something You'd Like To Hear Next?

So, out of all those options, what is something that appeals to you most?

Would you like:

#1: At least one video essay voiced by Mr. Nowhere as he leads us deeper into the Chronicles of Darkness setting, and Changeling: The Lost in particular?

#2: Character bios as Mr. Nowhere gives new readers and listeners a cliff notes version of the setting of Windy City Shadows?

#3: Trailers for Windy City Shadows to draw folks into the setting?

Now, it's likely that all three of these projects are going to happen at some point. However, where I put my energy and time will be determined by you, the readers and listeners! So if one of these categories has a distinct lead over the others, that is the one that's going to go at the top of the to-do list when I manage to free up time in the production schedule.

So please, leave your vote down in the comments below, on social media where you came across this page, and in the comments section of The Liminal Horror of Changeling: The Lost so that I and my publisher can see them, count them, and tally them! And if you want to help push projects like this up in the algorithm, and make it easier for me to keep getting ideas like this greenlit, subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and hit that little bell to get all of our updates while you're at it!

Lastly, if you enjoy the little samples you've seen of Mr. Nowhere and you'd like to grab a few supplements I've released that have featured sneaky references to him or his activities, you could also grab these supplements I've written for Storyteller's Vault!

- 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings: Delving into the secretive communication styles of the Winter Court, this supplement helps you really take on the feel of clandestine operatives.

- 100 Strange Sights To See In The Hedge: The Hedge is a bizarre place full of impossible creatures and landscapes... and if you look closely, you might catch sight of a signal tower, swallowed in the greenery.

- 100 Rumors To Hear At The Freehold: Whispers are as deadly as daggers among the paranoid Lost... and very few people can collect more rumors than Winter.

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? I'm listening for your comments and votes!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel for Azukail Games. Or, to check out books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my hard-boiled noir series featuring the street beasts of NYC in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Bue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

An Update on The Chronicles of Darkness Podcast "Windy City Shadows"

As I first mentioned going on a year and a half ago, I would love to do longer, more involved audio dramas, particularly for the Chronicles of Darkness... but I just didn't have the ground work laid to make it feasible. However, as regular readers found out recently, the Azukail Games YouTube channel (where this podcast will be available, in addition to other platforms) finally got monetized!

And now that this piece of the puzzle has slotted into place, I figured it was time to start cranking up the story engine, and I wanted to give folks an update on where I am with this project right now.

And if you haven't tuned-in, let me tell you why you should!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

What It Is, And Where I'm Currently At

For those who haven't heard about this project until just now, the short version is that Windy City Shadows is going to be a Chronicles of Darkness podcast where I and a crew of voice actors tell tales about the things that lurk in the dark corners of Chicago. The first season is titled Grim Promises, and it's a Changeling: The Lost story that follows the former Fall Court's chief enforcer being pulled out of retirement against his will to handle one more sensitive matter, and to fulfill a last, dangling promise.

If you need an immediate comparison, it's modern fantasy John Wick with a more noir sountrack.

However, I wanted to give folks an update as to where we're at now. Because even though the Azukail Games channel was only monetized at the start of this month, I didn't want to let the grass grow under my feet on this... because this project is going to take a long time for me to finish, and it's going to take a lot of work to bring it all together.

Also, if you haven't checked out the AMA I did about the show, I'd recommend giving it a watch!

As of Fall 2024, it looked like we were coming up on our goals. So I started storyboarding Grim Promises to make sure that I had the general shape of the series. Once I had that set up, I reached out to some folks I've worked with on the Azukail Games channel before (in addition to some new voices you all haven't heard before). Then in December 2024 I started writing.

At the time of this update, I've completed the first episode script, and I'm diving into the second episode! In addition to that, I'm putting together scripts for some commercials, previews, and some character introductions so that folks can dip a toe into what's coming, and get some additional context before I throw them into the deep end. However, each script is looking like it's going to come in at 7K-8K words, and with a 10-episode series, I'm essentially working on a novel's worth of text before we even start recording.

So, I'm starting off strong, but I didn't want folks to think that silence on my end meant the project had been dropped... especially because a lot of my regular readers have expressed interest in finally getting something bigger, longer, and in-depth for my Chronicles of Darkness fiction!

While I covered some of this in my recent video about Azukail Games Goals For 2025!, I'd recommend folks check out that video for more details, and leave comments over there so that both I and my publisher can see them.

Speaking of The World/Chronicles of Darkness, Though...

Before I sign off for the week and get back to work on scripting this show, I wanted to take a moment to draw folks' attention to the most recent piece of mine that dropped. Because I still have plans to expand the World/Chronicles of Darkness video essays I've been putting up on the channel, and the latest one has been something of a slow starter. As such, any and all views, signal boosts, comments, and subscribes would be much appreciated!

So whether you're a fan of Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Warhammer 40K, or a bit of both, consider giving Which Space Marine Chapters Best Represent The Garou of Werewolf: The Apocalypse?

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? I'm listening for your comments and votes!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel for Azukail Games. Or, to check out books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my hard-boiled noir series featuring the street beasts of NYC in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Bue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

Ask Me Anything About "Windy City Shadows" A Chronicles of Darkness Podcast

Roughly a year ago I proposed a project for all the folks who were enjoying my Chronicles of Darkness RPG supplements and audio offerings. The idea was to write a narrative podcast that would tell a story set in the darkest corners of Chicago, dragging listeners into the shadows and giving them a glimpse of the horrors that lurk just beneath the surface of the world they know. And if listeners enjoyed the first season, I would then spiral out into subsequent seasons that showed just how interconnected events in this setting truly are when the monsters all live cheek-by-jowl in a place as hard and mean as the Windy City.

On this, the anniversary of the original proposal for Windy City Shadows, I wanted to open up the floor to my readers and listeners to see what questions you had about the show, as well as what it will take for this project to finally happen!

Because we're getting quite close to the edge...

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

What Is Windy City Shadows?

For folks who haven't heard of this project before, the short version is that it's a narrative, audio drama podcast set in a version of Chicago in the Chronicles of Darkness RPG setting. The podcast will be a Dark Pack project, and it will start in the realm of Changeling: The Lost, but subsequent seasons will likely take a side step into Geist: The Sin Eaters, Mage: The Awakening, and others if folks enjoy it!

For those who want to catch up on the previous times I've talked about this project, please check out:

- Windy City Shadows, A Chronicles of Darkness Podcast Proposal

- Dead City Blues, A Possible Second Season For Windy City Shadows

- Vox Mortis- Radiohead (A Geist: The Sin Eaters Concept)

What Would You Like To Know?

When I first proposed this project, it was something of a pipe dream because I just did not have the time and energy to dedicated to it in order to make it really happen. However, I've been making all kinds of audio dramas over the past few years, and I think I finally have the necessary resources to really make the stories shine... and I've got enough other folks who've volunteered their voices to breathe a little extra life into it, as well!

My question for all of you is... well, what questions would you like answered about this podcast?

My current plan is to dedicate the 30th episode of Discussions of Darkness to an Ask Me Anything video about Windy City Shadows where I will get answers for all the most popular questions. At present I'm going to cover:

- What is a Dark Pack project (and what does that mean for this podcast)?

- What funding solutions are currently being considered?

- When will it come out?

- How will we be able to find it?

While I can probably get a halfway decent episode out of those questions alone, I want to make sure that anyone who wants to see this project come to fruition gets the answers to their questions. So if you've got a curiosity that isn't answered in any of my previous articles or videos about this project, please ask them in the comments below, on any social media page where you saw this article shared, or even on the Azukail Games YouTube channel so that both I and my publisher can see them!

This is something I've been really excited about for about a year now, and I feel like we're finally getting close to being able to make it a reality... so ask any questions you've got now, and please share this post around to help get new folks in on the ground floor of this project.

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? I'm listening for your comments and votes!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel for Azukail Games. Or, to check out books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my hard-boiled noir series featuring the street beasts of NYC in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.