Medieval Friendship Test & Other Tales: Gesta Romanorum

This week, we adapt three more medieval "morality" tales from the Gesta Romanorum, adapting them into unique puzzles, adventures, and scenarios for your tabletop campaign. Would YOUR party help you hide a body? Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system he¡re! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Swan, Charles, translator. Gesta Romanorum: or, Entertaining Moral Stories. Edited by Wynnard Hooper, Dover Publications, 1959. N.B.: the “woman from Tumblr” briefly & obscurely referred to in the end segment is rabies educator @raccoonmilf, if anyone was wondering.

While we may think of genre trends as a modern thing in fantasy literature, the chivalric romance of Eric & Enide paints another picture. We examine two versions of this tale: one gritty and grim dark, and the other an idealistic romantasy, and examine how we can use these story techniques in our own campaigns to tell the type of story we want to tell. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials: Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook CITATIONS & REFERENCES: Davies, Sioned, translator. The Mabinogion. Oxford UP, 2007. Oxford World’s Classics. Gantz, Jeffrey, translator. The Mabinogion. Dorset Press, 1976. Guest, Charlotte, translator. The Mabinogion. 1877. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1906. Everyman’s Library. Thomson, Robert L., editor. Ystorya Gereint uab Erbin. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, School of Celtic Studies / Dundalgan Press, 1997. Medieval and Modern Welsh Series 10. “RIB 306. Curse upon Senicianus.” Roman Inscriptions of Britain, https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/306. Accessed 9 November 2025. Tolkien, J. R. R. “The Name ‘Nodens’.” Report on the Excavation of the Prehistoric, Roman, and post-Roman Site in Lydney Park, Gloucestershire, by R. E. M. Wheeler and T. V. Wheeler, Society of Antiquaries of London / Oxford UP, 1932, pp. 132-7. Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London 9.

Happy Halloween! The demon has become a fantastic villain (or patron) in many TTRPGs, but their legalistic nature can sometimes feel overused. Join us this week as we analyze real accounts of medieval demons, how they behave, and how to get rid of them so that you can spice up your TTRPG this Halloween. MOONSHOT NETWORK CHARITY STREAM: Streaming November 8-9 Watch the stream here: http://twitch.tv/moonshotnetwork Donate here: http://moonshotpods.com/donate Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials: Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Caesarius of Heisterbach. The Dialogue on Miracles. Translated by H. von E. Scott and C. C. Swinton Bland, Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1929. 2 vols. Broadway Medieval Library. Kuang, R. F. Katabasis. Harper Voyager, 2025. “A Rugrats Passover.” Rugrats. Nickelodeon, 13 April 1995. String music by szegvari, downloaded from freesound.org.

In this episode, we finish off the Lais of Marie de France and ask - what makes a medieval romance, and how can we apply that to our games and stories in fresh ways? How does medieval romance compare to modern fantasy romance? Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials: Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Marie de France. French Medieval Romances. Trans. Eugene Mason. 1911. Project Giutenburg. Read here. Second translation by S.A. Kline, Poetry in Translation. Read here. Gautier, Léon (1891) [1884]. "The Code of Chivalry". Chivalry. Translated by Frith, Henry. Routledge. Damon, S. Foster. “Marie de France: Psychologist of Courtly Love.” PMLA, vol. 44, no. 4, 1929, pp. 968–96. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/457705. Accessed 21 Sept. 2025. Lewis, C.S. Allegory of Love. Oxford University Press, 1958. Link. Moore, John C. “‘Courtly Love’: A Problem of Terminology.” Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 40, no. 4, 1979, pp. 621–32. Link.

In this episode, we're joined by Chris and Wythe, the creators of Danse Macabre, to discuss their medieval horror TTRPG and how to create historical settings that feel both real and reasonable to a modern gamer. We discuss the concept of the "novum" in worldbuilding, medievalism, and why TTRPGs feel so set upon the Medieval Fantasy in this fantastic roundtable. Support the Danse Macabre Kickstarter here! Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References:   Support the Danse Macabre Kickstarter here Play Danse Macabre: Prima Mors (the quickstart guide) - on Stillfleet, Itch, and DTRPG Find Chris at his website or @timespace.place on socials Find Wythe at Stillfleet.com or @stillfleet on socials Listen to Why We Roll on any podcast platform Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century. Ballantine Books, 1978. Buehlman, Christopher. Between Two Fires. Ace Books, 2012.

When sovereignty myth declares that anyone who kills the White Stag can be king, stakes are high in King Arthur's Court. We're exploring the Welsh origins of Eric and Enide in the Mabinogion, and how two different versions of a text can bring to light important context in mythmaking and worldbuilding. Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials: Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Terminology & Spelling for Reference: Bonedd y Saint Bro Wened Bro Weroc Brunanburh Culhwch ac Olwen Cyfraith Hywel, ‘Laws of Hywel Dda’ Dumnonia Erbin Gereint Gerontius Guerec Gwalchmai Llongborth Llyfr Coch Hergest, ‘Red Book of Hergest’ Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin, ‘Black Book of Carmarthen’ Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch, ‘White Book of Rhydderch’ Mabinogionfrage Madauc / Madog Odyar / Odiar Owain penteulu Peredur Veneti ystorya References & Citations: Primary Davies, Sioned, translator. The Mabinogion. Oxford UP, 2007. Oxford World’s Classics. Gantz, Jeffrey, translator. The Mabinogion. Dorset Press, 1976. Guest, Charlotte, translator. The Mabinogion. 1877. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1906. Everyman’s Library. Thomson, Robert L., editor. Ystorya Gereint uab Erbin. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, School of Celtic Studies / Dundalgan Press, 1997. Medieval and Modern Welsh Series 10. Secondary Bromwich, Rachel. “Celtic Dynastic Themes and the Breton Lays.” Études Celtiques, vol. 9, no. 2, 1961, pp. 439-74. Crane, Susan. “Ritual Aspects of the Hunt à Force.” Engaging With Nature, edited by Barbara A. Hanawalt and Lisa J. Kiser, University of Notre Dame Press, 2008, pp. 63-84. Harris, R. “The White Stag in Chretien’s Erec et Enide.” French Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, 1956, pp. 55–61. Judkins, Ryan R. “The Game of the Courtly Hunt: Chasing and Breaking Deer in Late Medieval English Literature." Journal of English and Germanic Philology, vol. 112, no. 1, 2013, pp. 70-92. Loomis, Roger Sherman. Arthurian Tradition and Chretien de Troyes. Columbia UP, 1949. Middleton, Arthur. “Chwedl Geraint ab Erbin.” The Arthur of the Welsh : The Arthurian Legend in Medieval Welsh Literature, edited by Rachel Bromwich, A. O. H. Jarman, and Brynley F. Roberts. University of Wales Press, 1991, pp. 147-57. Richardson, Amanda. “‘Riding like Alexander, Hunting like Diana’: Gendered Aspects of the Medieval Hunt and Its Landscape Settings in England and France.” Gender & History, vol. 24, no. 2, Aug. 2012, pp. 253–70. Thiebaux, Marcelle. The Stag of Love : The Chase in Medieval Literature. Cornell University Press, 1974.

This week, we're joined by author M.T. Anderson as we dive into the thrilling tale of Nicked, the true story of a medieval heist to steal the holy body of Saint Nicholas and save Bari from plague. We take a step-by step approach to the heist and use it as an example for how you can adapt real relic thieves and heists into your TTRPGS & stories. Check out Nicked here! Find MT Anderson's works on his website, here. Transparency Statement: the Maniculum does not take sponsorships or paid promotions. We are excited to share Nicked with our audience because we loved the book and believe it is a perfect example of what we strive to do on the show: bring medieval tales into the modern day. We were gifted a copy of Nicked from Penguin Random House as part of the interview process. Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials: Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Nicked, MT Anderson - at your local bookstore & Bookshop.org, a storefront for small bookstores - find it here! Anderson, M. T. Yvain: the Knight of the Lion. Illustrated by Andrea Offerman, Candlewick Press, 2017. Farley, David. An Irreverent Curiosity. Gotham Books, 2009. Geary, Patrick J. Furta Sacra: Thefts of Relics in the Central Middle Ages. Princeton UP, 1991. al-Jawbari, Jamal al-Din ‘Abd al-Rahim. The Book of Charlatans. Translated by Humphrey Davies, edited by Manuela Dengler. New York UP, 2020. Library of Arabic Literature 64. Birrell, Anne, translator. The Classic of Mountains and Seas. Penguin, 2000. Christopher of Mytilene, “To the Monk Andrew…” The Poems of Christopher of Mytilene and John Mauropous, edited and translated by Floris Bernard and Christopher Livanos, Harvard UP, 2018, pp. 240–51. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library 50. Einhard, “Translation of the Relics of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter.” Translated by Barrett Wendell, edited by David Appleby. Medieval Hagiography: An Anthology, edited by Thomas Head, Garland Press, 1999, pp. 199–225. Farley, David. An Irreverent Curiosity. Gotham Books, 2009. Geary, Patrick J. Furta Sacra: Thefts of Relics in the Central Middle Ages. Princeton UP, 1991. Guibert of Nogent, “On Saints and their Relics.” Translated by Thomas Head. Medieval Hagiography: An Anthology, edited by Head, Garland Press, 1999, pp. 405–27. Kurtz, Katherine. Saint Camber. Ballantine Books, 1978. Vol. 5 of the Deryni novels. Map, Walter. De Nugis Curialium / Courtiers’ Trifles. Edited and translated by M. R. James, revised by C. N. L. Brooke and R. A. B. Mynors, Clarendon Press, 1983. Novik, Naomi. His Majesty's Dragon. Del Rey, 2006. Vol. 1 of Temeraire. Terminology & Spelling: Bari Manzikert Myra myroblyte Seljuk

We're getting into astrology this week! In part two of our final episode of necromancy, we explore the finer points of astrology and its importance in spell casting - so that you know exactly what moon phase is best to curse your enemies, conjure birds, or rout an army. Open Question to the Listeners: What should the metaphysically-significant insects be for each day of the week? (Arachnids, myriapods, etc. also acceptable, in the spirit of Medieval English’s “everything is worm” approach to small animals.) Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials: Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Forbidden Rites: a Necromancer's Manual online version here All of Richard Keickhefer's books on magic here The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic: info and get one yourself here Peter of Abano: Heptameron, or Magical Elements - read online here Hindley, Katherine Storm. Textual Magic: Charms and Written Amulets in Medieval England. U Chicago Press, 2023. Stanmore, Tabitha. Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024. Storms, Godfrid. Anglo-Saxon Magic. Martinus Nijhoff, 1948.

The stars have aligned, but are you ready to conjure? In part one of our final episode of necromancy, we explore the nature of magic circles and how to ensure you're drawing the correct type for the demon you want to conjure. Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials: Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Forbidden Rites: a Necromancer's Manual online version here All of Richard Keickhefer's books on magic here The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic: info and get one yourself here Peter of Abano: Heptameron, or Magical Elements - read online here Beekes, Robert S. P. “θεός.” Etymological Dictionary of Greek, vol. 1, Leiden, 2010, p. 540. Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10. Beekes, Robert S. P. “God is Non-Indo-European.” Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik, vol. 54, 2000, pp. 27-30. “deiw-.” The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, revised and edited by Calvert Watkins, Houghton Mifflin, 1985, p. 10. De Meyer, Isabelle. “L’étymologie du mot grec θεός « dieu ».” Revue de Philologie de Littérature et d’Histoire Anciennes, vol. 90, no. 1, 2016, pp. 115-38, 260-1. “dhēs-.” [& cf. “dhē-1.”] The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, revised and edited by Calvert Watkins, Houghton Mifflin, 1985, p. 14. “gheu(ə)-.” [& cf. “gheu-.”] The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, revised and edited by Calvert Watkins, Houghton Mifflin, 1985, p. 23. Kulik, Alexander. “How the Devil Got His Hooves and Horns: The Origin of the Motif and the Implied Demonology of 3 Baruch.” Numen, vol. 60, nos. 2–3, 2013, pp. 195–229. O’Shea, Stephen. The Perfect Heresy: The Revolutionary Life and Death of the Medieval Cathars. Walker & Company, 2000. Rau, Jeremy. “The Derivational History of PIE *diéu-/diu-´ ‘(god of the) day-lit sky; day’.” Ex Anatolia Lux, edited by Ronald Kim et al., Beech Stave Press, 2010, pp. 307-20. Watkins, Calvert. “‘god’.” Antiquitates Indogermanicae, edited by Manfred Mayrhofer et al., Innsbruck, 1974, pp. 101-10.

Romantasy has been all the rage of late, but its roots go further back than a TikTok trend. Join us this week as we dive into Eric and Enide, a medieval fantasy romance adventure perfect for those who love the genre, or who just want a new idea for their story or TTRPG campaign. Welcome to our summer series! Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials: Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Read Eric & Enide for yourself here Eastin, Schuyler E. (Dis)Arming the Middle Ages: Chivalric Materiality in Medieval Romance. 2017.  University of California, Riverside, Ph.D. dissertation. Ffoulkes, Charles John. The Armourer and His Craft from the XIth to the XVIth Century. Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1912. Wright, Monica L. Weaving Narrative: Clothing in Twelfth-Century French Romance. Pennsylvania State UP, 2009.