Agents and Assets... Providing Backup For Task Force VALKYRIE

It's been a tough year for finding space to write new Storyteller's Vault supplements... however, I have managed to get a couple of submissions in here and there. However, back in February of this year I made my first foray into Hunter with my supplement The Blade Itself: Corrupt Equipment For Hunter: The Vigil. The idea behind corrupt equipment is that it develops a reputation, and grows into a legend of its own, which taps into the same dark force that empowers slashers, while also giving both independent hunters as well as those who have banded together with the more powerful conspiracies another tool to take on the creatures of the night.

And speaking of powerful conspiracies, I recently managed to find time and space to work on another supplement for this corner of the Chronicles of Darkness... which is why I wanted to let everyone out there know to check out Agents and Assets: 100 Personnel and Contacts For Task Force VALKYRIE!

Which I'd recommend getting your hands on, if you need some NPCs to toss into your chronicle.

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!

Here Come The Men In Black

When I decided to take a second swing at Hunter, I wanted to put together an NPC list that would be useful for STs who were running Vigil chronicles, but also for those who were running games in any other part of the Chronicles of Darkness as well. Because while a lot of Storytellers don't relish the idea of bringing in multiple books and running several rule sets simultaneously, hunters are always a threat that's lurking in the background of any game. Vampires, werewolves, prometheans, sin eaters, changelings, and all the rest try to keep such a low profile because they all know down in their bones that mortals can be dangerous... especially when they have the ability to bring know-how and firepower to the fight.

And that is why the agents of Task Force VALKYRIE are always on standby for an ST who wants to make it clear there are consequences for crossing the line, and getting noticed.

The last line of defense for humanity.

To sum up, this supplement is good for STs who are running a Hunter game because Task Force VALKYRIE tends to be such a large presence in the setting. Even if the characters are a lower tier of hunters who are part of a compact, or they're just running the streets on their own, the presence of these shadowy government operatives and their networks is an ideal way to get the hunters information, to steer them toward particular objectives, or even to get them access to unique resources if they play ball with the suit who insists his name is Agent Smith. And on the other hand, Task Force VALKYRIE has enough firepower, skill, and presence to be a genuine threat to any supernatural community, giving players ample reason to maintain the masquerade and keep their heads down lest they become a reason for black choppers, strike teams, or even "accidents" that will be swept under the rug by the black books organization.

Where Should I Go Next?

I've said repeatedly on this blog, and over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, I don't have a crystal ball, so I have no idea what supplements are going to go over well when I put my lists of ideas together. That's why I would like your input as folks who read my blog (and who hopefully enjoy my contributions to Storyteller's Vault). So if you would be so kind, please leave a comment down below including the following:

- What game line would you like to see me contribute to?

- What subject would you feel most useful?

 

As a bonus for folks who are interested, some of the specific ideas I've had include a collection of True Fae titles and a collection of loyalist NPCs for Changeling, and for Hunter I've been considering putting together a collection of slashers as well as some other support lists for conspiracies outside of Task Force VALKYRIE. I've even considered putting together some new courts for changeling, or making my own conspiracy or compact for Hunter to add to the list we already have to choose from. So if any of those things sound tasty, make sure you add that in your comment so I can tally up the votes!

And if you'd like to make EXTRA sure I see your vote, consider leaving it in the comments section of the video below:

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!

"Exalted" Makes Its Way To The A.L.I.C.E. Files

Regulars on this blog likely know that in addition to writing RPGs, novels, and short stories, I also do a fair bit of work with audio dramas and dramatic readings. It's why earlier this year, in partnership with Alice Liddell, I was part of the launch of the ongoing audio drama channel The A.L.I.C.E. Files over on YouTube. While most of the episodes we've put out so far have been dramatizations of original fiction by Alice and myself, and narrations for public domain stories, we recently provided a glimpse into a fan story set in the world of Exalted, using the Dark Pack agreement.

But how File 006 - The Butcher's Toll came to be is almost as interesting as the story itself... so I wanted to take a moment to tell everyone the background of this tale, and let you know how you can expand the story of Barabbas the Butcher if you enjoy this little glimpse of his adventures.

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!

Try It, You Might Like It!

I have played a lot of different games in my time, but generally speaking I'm not a huge fan of wuxia RPGs, and I'm not a big fan of games where the PCs are mythical in terms of their power. Knowing that, you'd think that Exalted, as a game, really wouldn't do it for me... after all, what I just described is kind of the game's meat and potatoes.

However, Exalted (and specifically Exalted 2nd Edition) is a good friend of mine's favorite game (or, at least, one of their top favorites), and they were determined to find some way to share this experience with me. I wanted to find some way over the barrier, as well, because I knew a lot of folks who enjoyed Exalted, but everything I found about it just left me kind of struggling to find purchase.

Until, that was, my friend handed me the book Manual of Exalted Power: The Infernals.

This cover doesn't do justice to how messed up this content is.

This was the book that unlocked my interest. Because while I found the fallen magitech setting of Creation interesting, the standard solar exalted just weren't really grabbing my attention. Ditto for the lunars, the sidereals, and even the alchemicals. But the idea that mutilated gods that had been banished to hell, twisted into terrible, broken reflections of what they once were, stole some the solar exalted souls and wrenched them into corrupted weapons to set loose upon the world to reclaim it again in their name... well, now that was something I could get behind!

However, while I read the base book and the infernal book cover-to-cover (not an easy or pleasant experience on a screen), I felt the need to create a character who didn't have some great, grand destiny. Someone down-to-earth, who would have been happy to live a simple life, had circumstances gone differently. Someone that the world wronged, and let down.

And thus Barabbas was born.

A simple butcher, he lived with his wife, his son, and his daughter. When the servants of a Death Lord assaulted his village, and kidnapped his sister-in-law (among other folk), he took up his hewing tool to try to save them. When one of the dragon blooded came with his men, he thought they'd been rescued. Instead of helping the people of the village, the dragon blooded had the survivors all thrown in irons, and the village burned. Torn from the rest of his family, Barabbas was condemned to a mine. He led a failed uprising, and was the be painfully tortured and executed in front of the other slaves.

 

So when a servant of Malfeas, the broken king of hell, offered Barabbas power, he took it without a second's hesitation.

I was so proud of this character, and his tale, that I made an audio introduction to share with the rest of the players. I had been planning on doing the same for other folks who were interested so we could have a bit of a sizzle reel. And while we had the first few sessions of the game, sadly, it had to go on hiatus almost as soon as it began.

But That Doesn't Mean The Story Ends There

It's been years since I put Barabbas together, and I have copious notes about his tale. His journey through hell, which of the yozi that he spoke to, and which of them gave him gifts that he accepted. I have details about the places he went, the allies he gathered, and even about what his war against slavery would become as he tears apart Creation in search of his wife and children. The vibe I was going for was Conan by way of The Incredible Hulk, if he was powered by hell, with a heavy dash of Journey to The West.

And if that sounds like a story you'd want to hear, then there are steps you can take to make it happen!

Do I have your attention?

File 006 is what's called an "orphan" file by the Carroll Institute... to translate that for the audience, these "orphans" represent possible starts to a longer series of stories, should folks want to know more.

This could go a number of different ways. For instance, further reports could happen in the series canon, dropping every now and again when Alice is in the office and reviewing material from the archive. Alternatively, we could put the stories together as a side project that goes up between seasons of the main plot. We could even give the series its own slot, much like how Alice's Adventures in Wonderland currently has a chapter-by-chapter playlist.

A lot of that, though, is going to depend on what you want as our audience!

So if you are someone who would like more than just this little sample of Barabbas's story, here's what you need to do to make sure we hear you, and have the resources to make it happen:

- Subscribe to The A.L.I.C.E. Files

- Upvote The Butcher's Toll

- Leave a comment on the video telling us you want a sequel

- Share the video on your own social media pages, and tell your friends about the show

Sadly, we're a long way off from the 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours we would need to get the channel fully monetized. But, in fairness, if The Butcher's Toll can get 17,000 views, I'm pretty sure that would put us over both goals quite smoothly.

And if that happens, we'll basically be free to write, record, and edit whatever kind of episodes you all want to hear!

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 more involved audio drama channel 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!

Another Dip Back Into Changeling: The Lost (Since Folks Asked For It)

While a majority of the gaming supplements I've written over the years have been for general RPG genres, a not-inconsiderable amount of my work has gone into the Storyteller's Vault platform. The simple reason why is that I love the World & Chronicles of Darkness games, and I want to leave my own little mark on them. And while I had taken a break for financial reasons, I've been dipping a toe back into the platform to see how viable a return might be... and this time around I decided to write a companion piece to an older supplement of mine that was based on reader requests.

In case folks out there wondered, I do listen, and I do take feedback into account for my writing schedule.

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!

New Changeling (And Potential Future Additions)

For folks who missed the announcement, the supplement that dropped this past weekend was 100 Unusual Things To Find At A Goblin Market. This list includes bizarre items from Arcadia and the Hedge, unsettling things like a sealed jar of baby teeth, as well as physical embodiments of unusual emotions, or whimsical proverbs that have become actual merchandise (since any Changeling game is made better by the inclusion of a few puns). This was a topic that was oft-requested over on the Reddit forums, and it dovetails perfectly with one of my earlier supplements Buyer Beware: 10 Goblin Markets.

Seriously, go pick yours up today if you haven't yet!

In addition to being my favorite game in the Chronicles of Darkness (though Hunter is earning a lot of points with me, which is why I recently put out The Blade Itself for the new Corrupt Equipment mechanic), Changeling also has the second-largest number of supplements I've written for a single game line coming in at 11. And while I do have a few more rounds in the magazine as far as my ideas go, neither the current supplement, nor the previous book Like A Good Neighbor - Portraying True Fae in Your Chronicle have been burning up the charts of-late. There's some sales here and there, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely more of a trickle than it is a flood.

And while I've explained this in earlier posts, as well as in the video linked above, I'll restate it for folks who don't know. When I write Storyteller's Vault supplements I take a 50% reduction in up-front payment from my publisher. Given the word count for some of these, that's not a small sacrifice. To make up some of that amount in sales, I'd need to move at least 100 copies every time something new drops... and most of my supplements have struggled to even cross the 50 sale line to make it to Copper metal status of-late.

So, if you are someone who enjoys my Storyteller's Vault supplements in general, and my Changeling: The Lost work in particular, please take a moment to consider supporting me by doing the following:

- Buy any supplements that appeal to you.

- Leave reviews on the supplements you have (even just 5 stars and a "Good Job!" goes a long way).

- Leave comments on the video I linked telling me what Changeling supplements you'd like to see in the future.

As always, if buying new stuff isn't in your budget, I completely understand. But watching through the Discussions of Darkness series I have over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel is also a handy way to show your support, and to make sure that both my publisher and myself are hearing what you want!

Requests For A Changeling Story (And The A.L.I.C.E. Files)

On a final note for this week's update, I've recently launched a new audio drama channel on YouTube in partnership with Alice Liddell, and it's called The A.L.I.C.E. Files. I talked about the show more in-depth in the recent post The A.L.I.C.E. Files Is Here (And Will Soon Be Featuring Various Audio Dramas), but the short version is that the channel has an overarching story about the mysterious Carroll Institute, but a bunch of mini-stories about the different dimensions its agents have visited. A lot of those mini stories will be set in worlds that are inspired by (or come directly from) various tabletop RPGs.

I bring this up because one of the channel's big supporters, Sam Furlano, has specifically requested a Changeling story to be found in the files. Given that this falls under the Dark Pack agreement, this is absolutely something I could do... the question I have is whether it's something my readers/listeners out there want me to do?

So, if you'd like to have one (or maybe several) stories from the Chronicles of Darkness turn up in The A.L.I.C.E. files, here's how you can make your voices heard:

- Subscribe to The A.L.I.C.E. Files on YouTube.

- In the comments section for the Trailer, tell us which Chronicles of Darkness setting you'd like to see stories from (preferably with 7 words or more, just to kick the algorithm into gear).

- Watch the rest of the videos, and upvote the ones you like!

It's still a new channel, so if there's any spike in activity we are going to notice it. And if there's enough folks to get us up to the 3,000 watch hours and 500 subscribers we need to hit our next goal? Well... then whatever it is you all ask for, I can promise you we're going to try to deliver on it!

(Lastly, if you've been waiting for updates on Windy City Shadows, I assure you have neither forgotten about it, nor abandoned the project. But there are only so many hours in a day, and I'm trying to free up as much time and energy as I can to complete as many projects as possible. Stay tuned for updates on that podcast as they develop!)

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 my additional audio dramas over on 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!

Should I Add Another "Werewolf: The Apocalypse" Story To The Channel?

If you're one of the readers who also checks out my contributions on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, then chances are good you are one of the folks who saw the latest audio drama Screams in The Shadow. This short little audio drama follows a strike team of garou who delve into the Umbra in order to purify a corrupted place... a place whose constant spewing of vile hatred has led to a spiritual cancer in the hearts and minds of those who listen to it for too long.

This little story was the introductory fiction from my supplement Dark Reflections: 50 Sights To See In The Penumbra, which is for Werewolf: The Apocalypse. And if you haven't grabbed a copy, consider doing so... I'm still trying to get the supplement up over Copper status. However, putting that audio drama together got me thinking... would my regular readers/listeners be interested in more Werewolf content?

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!

Breathing Life Into Tales From The Moot

Most folks who are familiar with my World of Darkness supplements know me for my 100 Kinfolk supplements (which are still in the 100 Kinfolk Bundle, which has something approaching 1,500 NPCs in it). However, in addition to those supplements I also put together Evil Inc.: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries, and I was invited to be part of the Savage Age project, penning 101 Savage Kinfolk. However, what a lot of readers might not know is that a few years ago I managed to get a project going where I gathered several of my fellow authors and Werewolf enthusiasts, and we put together Tales From The Moot; a short story anthology filled with the kinds of stories the garou tend to tell around the fire to their fellows. Some are filled with action and savagery, others sorrow and heartbreak. Some seem to underline the pointlessness of this long war. But this collection has, largely, been overlooked by readers out there.

Which is why if you haven't checked it out, you definitely should!

I'll be honest, I've been wracking my brain for some way to get more eyes on this collection. I've written about it on this blog several times, it's gotten shout-outs on several WoD podcasts in the past, I've shouted it from the hilltops of social media, and my fellow creators did their best to spread the word so other folks could find out about it... but we could just never seem to really reach the folks who would be interested in tie-in fiction.

Which made me wonder... would you all be interested in hearing a few stories in the collection get the audio drama treatment the way some of my other vignettes have?

The way this project would work is that I would begin with the introductory story (which is a van of three kinfolk on their way to the moot), and I would make it as a kind of lead-in/commercial for the anthology as it stands. And if folks enjoyed and supported that part of the project, I'd look into dramatizing my contribution to the collection, Late Bloomer, which is a story about a Silver Fang who had his first change while he was on deployment in Afghanistan. And if folks wanted to see more of the stories then I would reach out to Josh Heath and the folks over at High Level Games, as well as contacting the authors of some of the other pieces, to see whether this is something they'd be interested in.

And if you're one of the folks who would like to see this project go forward, then leave your thoughts in the comments below, and make sure you respond on social media! In addition to your thoughts, consider grabbing a copy of Tales From The Moot for yourself, and leaving a review where you tell us which story you'd most like to hear get the audio drama treatment!

Because, as I repeat so often on this channel, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If this book suddenly gets a lot of fresh interest, sales, etc., it's very likely that future anthologies could finally go into production... but at that point we'd be asking you, our audience, what you'd like to see from us going forward!

Lastly, if you're looking for something else to get excited about, I'm still scripting season 1 of Windy City Shadows, which is a Chronicles of Darkness podcast project. And if you haven't heard about that yet, then check out the AMA I did for it a little while ago.

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!

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!

"Dark Reflections" Brings Me Back To The World of Darkness (For Now, At Least)

Folks who've been following my work for a while know that for several years I was an active creator on Storyteller's Vault for a variety of games in both the World of Darkness and the Chronicles of Darkness. Though I stepped back due to financial reasons, I thought that maybe I could dip a toe back in to see if things were worth coming back for. And because it seems I'm not capable of doing things in half measures, the first release I've had on Storyteller's Vault in years is the supplement with the largest word count of anything I've published except for my full RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic.

So if you haven't checked out the 24,000+ word supplement that is Dark Reflections: 50 Sights To See in The Penumbra, do so now while it's still hot off the presses!

Seriously, help push it up to Silver at the very least!

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!

Delivering On A Promise...

For folks who don't watch the Azukail Games YouTube channel (though you should watch and subscribe if you haven't yet), I made a video for my show Discussions of Darkness a little while back asking viewers what corner of the World or Chronicles of Darkness they'd like to see me tackle. And while there was some back and forth, it was a toss-up between more Changeling, and getting back to Werewolf, the two games I had made the most content for thus far.

In the end, my decision erred toward Werewolf specifically because of how much undiscovered country there still was for me in that game, but also because of the success of my video essay The Problem With Pentex. Because it seemed at a glance that there were a lot of Apocalypse players out there who would be interested in seeing me step back into the Storyteller's Vault fray... and with this supplement I very nearly pulled a creative muscle due to the scope and scale of it. The result, though, I feel speaks for itself.

When I first set out, I wanted to do something similar to my 100 Strange Sights To See In The Hedge for Changeling: The Lost. The idea was that I wanted to put together a guide for Storytellers to draw on to make the Umbra feel like a truly bizarre place, to give their players a sense of unreality, and to bring across how surreal the world of spirit can be. And the first few entries started that way... but they quickly grew into something more.

You see, my thought process was that while some games might go deep into the Umbra, not all of them would. But practically every game of Werewolf will take you into the Penumbra; the area of the spirit world that is pushed right up against the material world, acting as a dark reflection of it in many ways. For context, though, I had to create both the real world location, as well as the location in the Umbra so that the symbolic twisting and expression of the real world would make sense in its spiritual mirror. And once I had those two aspects I wanted to offer a general guide to the kinds of spirits one was likely to find in this place, along with the Denizen. The Denizen is a powerful spirit that is tied to a given location, and it is not something that can just be dispatched; it has claimed this area as a domain, and even if defeated, it will reform again and again unless the source of its power is weakened or eliminated.

Something very similar happened with my 50 Geists supplement a while back. What was meant to be a simple, straightforward list felt a little too anemic for the purpose at-hand, so I expanded on the individual entries and fleshed them out enough that players and/or Storytellers could take the rope and run with it. And, just like the geist list, the word count on Dark Reflections was edging into untenable territory. If I had followed through with my original plan to make a 100-item list then the supplement likely would have crossed into the length of a novel... as it was, it's already well past the minimum word count for a novella.

Which seemed like quite a deal, all things considered.

Should I Stay, Or Should I Go?

From my end of things, I feel this supplement was pretty solid. I haven't done anything for Werewolf: The Apocalypse in a while (and most of my previous contributions can be found in the 100 Kinfolk Bundle, with the addition of Evil Inc.: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries), and I wanted to test the waters to see if this was a good sphere to come back to. Since there were so many folks asking for content that could be used with the 5th Edition, as well as with older editions of the game, I thought this was a solid swing.

But only you all can send a message regarding whether or not this one connects.

So let me tell you how to make it happen.

If you're someone who has enjoyed my WoD/CoD content in the past, go and get yourself a copy of Dark Reflections: 50 Sights To See In The Penumbra. And if you're one of the handful of people who have picked up copies for themselves at time of writing, please leave a rating and a review on DTRPG so that more people find it. Lastly, consider sharing a link to the supplement on your social media pages, and telling your various gaming friends about the supplement... the algorithm is stamping down harder than usual, and it has been all but impossible to make headway as a creator looking to connect with an audience.

And if you haven't checked out all my other supplements for the World and Chronicles of Darkness yet, check out this Pinterest board with links to all 37 of them! From Vampire and Werewolf, to Changeling, Mage, Geist, and even a few general use supplements, I've put quite a lot of work into my contributions for this setting over the years.

If I haven't touched on your favorite game yet, leave a comment below letting me know what you'd like to see me cover! And if you're one of the Wraith players, don't worry, your game is on my to-do list... I just have to find some time to actually read up on it, since I never got a chance to sit down and play it during its heyday.

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 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.

Pentex, Windy City Shadows, And Closing In On Goals For Azukail Games

There's been a lot of nonsense going on behind the screen recently, so I wanted to take this week's Table Talk to bring some folks up-to-date, and to provide something of a progress report on two current projects. So if you've been hoping for some news on some irons I mentioned I had in the fire, then this should answer some of your questions. And if you're only just now joining me, well, keep reading because I'm going to do my best to provide any necessary context as we go along!

Now, let's get into the details!

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!

First and Foremost, Progress And Pentex

For those who don't know, I've been making a lot of videos for the Azukail Games YouTube channel for the past several years. Originally used as a place to host the preview videos for several of the company's TTRPG supplements, I expanded the offerings with several shows like Speaking of Sundara (where I talk about my RPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age), Discussions of Darkness (where I talk about the World and Chronicles of Darkness settings), Tabletop Mercenary (where I talk about the business of TTRPGs), and now Tactical Plastic Report (where I talk about my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic), along with a slew of audio dramas taken from TTRPG supplements I've written.

I've been fighting an uphill battle to try to get the channel monetized for a while, and we were well on our way this time last year... until the algorithm change last Autumn. That absolutely cratered our progress, and sent us several rungs down the ladder. As of my last check-in with Adrian, though, the channel is at 2,825 hours of the 3,000 hours we need to hit in order for us to become monetized.

That means we only need 175 hours of additional watched time on our videos, which is the closest we've gotten so far in this entire saga! It's still a huge chunk of watch time for a relatively small channel, but I'm hoping that I can get some folks currently reading this to help us reach that goal.

And this is where Pentex comes into the picture.

Since I've wanted to revisit it ever since I worked on this supplement.

As I mentioned a while back in my post Video Essays On The World and Chronicles of Darkness... What Would You Like To See?, I've had a couple of concepts floating around in my head for a little while. One of those is one that I'm tentatively titling, "The Problem With Pentex," because while I love it as an antagonist, and a thematic part of the World of Darkness, there is (in my opinion) something that makes it fit strangely with the rest of the setting. So I wanted to outline the position I'm taking, and then provide some suggestions to fellow Storytellers for how I would handle Pentex, were I to alter the setup and origin of this faction (or just expand it out to encompass a bigger picture).

I've also got a fun little tongue-in-cheek commercial that will be appearing in the middle of the episode. While I'm definitely taking the piss, though, Dubby is a real product, and I do really get a cut of the proceeds if you choose to try it out. All the info for this powdered energy drink is in the video below, so give this a watch if you're looking for a chuckle, or if you want to be one of the first to check out the closest thing to a sponsor any of my videos have had yet!

Up Next, Windy City Shadows!

I tend to bring up this project once a month or so, but it's a big deal to me, and it's something I've been kicking around for a while that feels like it's close to finally moving beyond the idea phase. While I have a full Ask Me Anything about the project, posted below, the elevator pitch is that Windy City Shadows is going to be an audio drama podcast set in the world of the Chronicles of Darkness. Each season will focus on different spheres of this world, but each season will build off the story of the one that came before, dealing with the ripples of those stories as they move across the various supernatural communities. Season One, Grim Promises, can best be summarized as "modern fantasy John Wick," and for a textual rundown check out the blog post Windy City Shadows: A Chronicles of Darkness Podcast Proposal.

For folks who have wondered why I first proposed this podcast a year ago, but nothing has been released for it, well, it's because even if art is offered at no cost to the customer that doesn't mean it's free to make. One of the major things I needed to have in place to help underwrite the project was that the Azukail Games YouTube chanel (where the podcast is going to be backed up and available for folks to listen to in addition to other podcast platforms) needed to be monetized so that these episodes were seen as something with earning potential, instead of just one more thing floating out there on the vast sea of the Internet.

However, since we're slowly closing in on that goal, I have started laying the groundwork for the show's production! During the month of October I laid out the skeleton for season one's 10-episode plan, and I have a script for a preview that I'll be putting together and releasing both on the Azukail Games YT channel, and on the Windy City Shadows podcast channel once we cross that finish line and get the YT channel monetized. And while there are currently some extra projects on my work desk, my hope is to start writing scripts for the show before the year is over, and to begin recording once my current housing situation is settled next year (for those who don't know, I reside in government-subsidized housing, which makes renewing my lease a less-than-straightforward process).

Though I feel like a broken record saying it, this may be some folks' first time seeing these words. If you're interested in Windy City Shadows as a project, or just seeing me continue to make videos in general, please help me smash that goal this month! Like and subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel, but even more than that, go through the archive and watch our videos! Leave comments on the ones you like (or, hell, the one's you don't like), and consider sharing some of them around on your own social media pages. The algorithm is stamping down harder than even before, and the only way we can get our stuff seen at all is by folks like you helping to boost our signal.

Thank you in advance... 175 hours is a lot for a relatively small channel of our size, but with your help hopefully we can surpass it before Thanksgiving comes and goes!

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.

Looks Like Paradox Did It Again (The Fallout Over "Werewolf: The Apocalypse" 5th Edition)

Over the past several years I've put together quite a number of supplements for the World of Darkness setting, and of the pieces I've written a majority of them have been for Werewolf: The Apocalypse. From my 1,600 NPCs in The 100 Kinfolk Project, to a list of potential antagonists in Evil Incorporated: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries, and I even helped push through an anthology of short fiction titled Tales From The Moot, where I wrote both the introductory framing short, as well as the Silver Fang tale Late Bloomer. I say this to establish that I've played my share of Werewolf as a game, that I am quite well aware of the issues it had with racism and representation, and that I tried to do what little I could to mitigate that with my additions to the world.

I had not been keeping up on the changes made to the setting as it was updated to the 5th Edition... but seeing the behind-the-scenes from J.F. Sambrano left my jaw on the floor with how badly the ball was fumbled in trying to "improve" this game's less-than-stellar record.

Younger Brother cannot believe this shit.

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! 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!

So What The Hell is Going On?

For those who haven't seen it yet, check out Sambrano's detailed post about what went on. And, if you can afford to, I'd recommend becoming his patron to help him out as a creator. But for those who just want the short version, I'll do my best to sum it up.

All right, deep breath...

In its original incarnation, Werewolf: The Apocalypse was a game that drew on a lot of Native American ideas of spirituality and legend, but it did so in the most crass, poorly-understood way you could. The short version is that while it was really unique having native representation at all in a major property in the 90s, a lot of it can be summed up with a sigh, and then following it up with, "Well... you did your best, I suppose."

This didn't stop the game from being successful, of course. Far from it, Werewolf is probably one of the best well-known parts of the World of Darkness, just behind the flagship game Vampire: The Masquerade. So when the 5th Edition came along and it was time to update the game and setting to bring it more in-line with modern sensibilities, and to make it a more inclusive product, designers like Sambrano were brought on board...

Only, it seems, to be promptly ignored.

Those are all great ideas... we're not using any of them.

From what was shared in the above post (which has already made the rounds), it seems like the design team made two, major errors. The first is that they kept too many of the problematic relics of the past (even when a lot of the designers they explicitly hired to help them fix these problems told them to chuck said relics), and the second is that they seem focused on including as little complexity and gray area as possible... which has led to them, once again, have problems with white supremacists, eugenicists, and Nazis.

Now, just for clarity, Nazis make great bad guys. If the goal had been merely to add white supremacists, nationalist terrorists, and other groups to the game as servants of the Wyrm in much the same way the original game did with capitalism in the form of Pentex, that would have actually been a smart move. Especially since the 5th edition release of Vampire: The Masquerade was plagued with problems regarding the inclusion of racism and white supremacy as story and game design in certain books (largely due, if memory serves, to a designer who was part of those communities). The wrong way to do this was what they chose, which was turning the Get of Fenris (arguably one of the most popular tribes among the player base) into a Nazi-majority tribe. Because, as Sambrano points out, this is inevitably going to lead to players trying to figure out how to keep the characters they had and liked to play, while attempting to include this new story element, rather than all players just letting the Get of Fenris go as a player option and relegating them entirely to villains.

Honestly, it just feels like bad design choices were made all around, and I'm glad I chose not to step into any of the 5th Edition releases for the World of Darkness as a whole.

While We're On The Subject...

I've been talking a lot about World and Chronicles of Darkness projects of late, and I wanted to take a moment to clarify something that got some folks asking questions. As I said recently in Why I Will Have Fewer Community Created TTRPG Products Coming Out, I'm going to be taking a small break from working on platforms like Pathfinder Infinite, Storyteller's Vault, and even on Call of Cthulhu titles, simply because of the increased rate-of-pay my publisher agreed to for my work on other, non-CCP products.

However, I also posted recently about "Windy City Shadows" A Chronicles of Darkness Podcast Proposal, talking about putting together a long-form audio drama podcast set in the world of the Chronicles of Darkness. For clarification, the podcast is a separate endeavor from my supplements set in the World/Chronicles of Darkness, and even if I'm writing fewer supplements (which people have to buy in order for me to get paid as the creator), I would still like to put together the podcast (which will be free to anyone who wants to listen to it).

So if it's something you'd interested in, check out the article above, and the video below, for how you can help make it happen!

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 my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my dystopian sci fi thriller Old Soldiers, 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!