Stories of Sundara, Tales of the World of Darkness, and More!

Folks who are regular readers of this blog probably know me best for my work on various tabletop RPGs. However, as I mentioned back in I Just Want To Write... on my sister blog, I sort of fell into writing for games by accident. When I started this leg of my career, I was actually focusing on writing short stories and novels. While I haven't stopped writing fiction, it's been tough to work it in around the edges because it just doesn't move the kinds of copies (or get the kind of attention) that even my less popular gaming supplements do.

I have pulled a bit of a sneaky trick recently, though. And my hope is that if folks enjoy it enough that it might lead to some new and interesting projects!

Step through the door and join me, will you?

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, 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!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

An Ogre's Bargain, A Changeling Drama in 3 Parts

Since the start of this year I've been making videos for the Azukail Games YouTube channel, which belongs to one of my publishers. While a lot of these videos are just talking about the Sundara setting I've been working on, a lot of them are miniature audio dramas taken from many of my gaming supplements as a way to get listeners interested. And while a majority of those stories are disconnected from one another, I tried a behind-the-scenes experiment that I wanted to let readers and listeners know about.

In short, the introductory stories from 100 Gateways Into (And Out Of) The Hedge, 100 Ensorcelled Mortals, and 100 Frailties, follow the story of a Summer Courtier named Jacoby. A one-eyed ogre who lives primarily in the Hedge, he tries to keep his busted nose out of other people's business. But when a fellow Summer named Wolfe comes asking for help, Jacoby feels honor and oath-bound to help... which puts him squarely in the sights of Lucius Frakes, an Autumn Court power broker who's pulling the strings.

All three parts of the story are dramatized below!

The full tale is about 22 minutes or so in total, and it took quite a number of hours to get it done from start to finish. However, it's definitely something I'd like to do more of... but I'm going to need help from my readers/listeners to get there!

Potential Plans For The Future

So what's the plan for this going forward? Well, I'd like to write and publish some tie-in short stories, audio dramas like the above tale (without breaking them up into bite-sized pieces), and possibly even writing some novels if that's something folks would like to see. I have ideas for several spheres of the World of Darkness (including Vampire, Werewolf, Changeling, and Geist are currently leading the pack), as well as additional stories for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting. Both of these setups would likely come with additional gaming content in the back (write-ups for characters, magic items, spells, and so on) as a bonus, too, if that would interest some folks.

But it's going to depend on numbers. Because the publishers I work with look at what an audience responds to, and the more traffic something gets, or the more sales something earns, that's a project they dedicate more time, energy, and money to.

So if this is something you'd like to see happen in the future, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:

- Subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel. It takes 1k subscribers to get a channel considered for monetization, and if the channel tips over that level, it would allow projects like this to act as their own source of income/funding going forward.

- Watch the videos on the channel, and share them on your socials. The other half of YouTube's requirements is that a channel must have 4k hours of watched content in the past year, which boils down to about 11.5 hours of content per day.

- Leave comments. Comments on the videos, comments on this blog, and on whatever social media platform you saw this link on help boost the signal and spread the word.

- Check out/get copies of existing content. Whether you're in the market for books like the Werewolf: the Apocalypse anthology Tales From The Moot, or you want to check out some fantasy fiction like my Silver Raven Chronicles, anything that boosts the figures on this work makes it more likely to get sequels, audio adaptations, and more.

My hope is that if I can find enough listeners/readers that I'll be able to convince some of the folks I've put out content with to let me take a risk with stuff that leans more into the fiction side of things. Not only that, but I have several performers (including a few who've already helped out on several of the smaller audio dramas) who are ready and willing to step up to the mic and give listeners a full cast experience.

But, as with everything else online, you have to prove to the folks who cut the checks that there's an audience big enough to warrant the investment. So whether you're just hearing about this project, or you've been waiting to see where things were going to go with my updates, consider lending a hand and helping me make this happen!

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 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.

Azukail Games, Audio Dramas, and My Latest Projects

Something most folks don't know about me is that I didn't really grow up listening to music. I wasn't actually aware of how a radio worked until I was a teen, and while there were kids' movies, Disney tunes, and musicals aplenty, when I needed to fill the silence I usually went for audio dramas. The Shadow was a favorite of mine, but The Green Hornet put in plenty of appearances, alongside quite a few dramatized Westerns by authors like Louis L'Amour. While I eventually discovered alternative music, heavy metal, folk, punk, and a dozen other genres that are great for filling up the background, sometimes I just want to kick back and listen to a drama unfold in my mind.

To that end, even though I said I was going to take my foot off the gas a bit this year, I've picked up a new project... dramatizing some of my own RPG fiction for all the folks out there who share my unusual audio tastes!

And if that's something you want to help out with, keep reading!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, 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!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Blowing The Dust Off My Old Mic

For folks who've been on this blog a long time, I was one of the voices who helped out over on Dungeon Keeper Radio for about a year and change. The project was fun, but we never managed to really get a foothold, or to get the channel monetized, so it sort of fell by the wayside. I enjoyed putting scripts and readings together, though, so when Azukail Games asked if I wanted to help create some content for their YouTube channel, I figured that I might have an idea or two that would get folks attention; turning some of the short fiction pieces included in my supplements into full-on audio dramas.

The first of these bite-sized pieces was the intro story from my 100 Resources and Rumors to Find on SchreckNet, where we get a glimpse into a Nosferatu skulking through a mostly abandoned train station on their way to seek a meeting with a power broker in the literal underground. It's got a bit of a John Wick feel to it, but I like to think that adds to the charm.

The second story that got this treatment was the introduction from 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings for Changeling: The Lost. This tale is a brief glimpse into a Winter Court handler having a meeting with one of his field agents... there's a mess in the city, and bodies need to be cleaned up quietly before authorities start sniffing around and asking questions.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that it's been a hot minute since I was on a mic. Not only that, but I was never the one who handled sound editing, special effects, or any of that. Far as those aspects, I'm learning as I go, and there's still plenty of dust I need to knock off before I add additional stuff to my skill set. However, my intended goal is to keep making these little shorts both to get some additional eyes onto the supplements they're part of, but also to try to help grow the Azukail Games YouTube channel.

This is where you come in, readers.

You see, in order to get monetized on YouTube a channel needs to have 1,000 subscribers, and at least 4,000 hours of watched content in the past year. Ideally if something goes viral you can manage both of those goals fairly easily... but I'm just a lone creator doing my best to be heard in the TTRPG space, and I need all the help I can get on this one. Especially since the channel just hit 116 subscribers the other day, which puts it around 11% of the way to the first goal post.

So what I'm asking folks to do is to give my videos a watch. If you like them and want to see me make more (even acknowledging the room for improvement), then subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel and give the videos a share on your social media. Because I don't own this channel; I'm making content for a games company that I work for. And just like with any of the supplements I've made, the best way to send the company a message that you want more is to be sure their metrics show people consuming the thing they make. Because in addition to other World/Chronicles of Darkness nonsense, I also have the stories in my Cities of Sundara guides, as well as the stories found in further fantasy supplements that will be released in the coming months that I'd like to give this treatment to.

And, of course, if the channel gets monetized then Azukail Games will be able to expand, get more creators to contribute, and fund additional incentives. The more folks we can get on board, the further I'll be able to push this, and hopefully the better it's going to get!

Looking For More Tie-In Fiction?

Just saying, I've got plenty more stuff!

If you're looking for even more gaming tie-in stories to fill your eyes and ears, don't you worry, I've got plenty of other things you should check out!

First up is Tales From The Moot, a collection of short stories for Werewolf: The Apocalypse. I was the one who proposed the initial project, and I wrote the introduction (which you can read for free) in addition to the Silver Fang story Late Bloomer, so make sure you give that one a look if it slipped under your radar!

Also, for those who like official tie-ins with RPG settings, my contribution to the Pathfinder Tales The Irregulars is finally available on DTRPG! The best and the brightest of the bottom of the barrel, this team of behind-enemy-lines soldiers are masters of sabotage, and it's their job to stop problems before they really begin happening. And when Molthune seems to be revving up their war machine, these misfit commandos are the ones who get the job done.

Those who enjoy Pathfinder, and the world of Golarion, may also want to check out my ongoing series The Silver Raven Chronicles! A dramatic retelling of my group's run through the Hell's Rebels adventure path, trouble is stirring in the city of Kintargo. A rebellion is forming, made up of disillusioned nobles, a private detective, several tengu spies, and more. Will they be able to root out Barzillai Thrune and his oppressive regime? And who (or what) is the mysterious figure known to most in the city only as the Ghost? Is this shadowy creature a friend, or a foe? Find out!

- Part One: Devil's Night

- Part Two: From The Ashes

- Part Three: The Raven's Nest

- Part Four: Circles in Salt

Lastly, for those who enjoy the grim darkness of the far future, consider checking out some of my Warhammer 40K stories as well! Both Field Test and Waking Dogs: A World Eaters Tale have been dramatized by A Vox in The Void, and if you haven't followed his channel yet, make sure you do! Every view makes him more likely to expand the content he reads, and every read sent my way makes it that much more likely I'll keep the stories coming!

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 YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel 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 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!