EDSG Episode 268 - Year-End Wrap-up

* Year End 2025* Spotify for Podcasters Wrapped* Numbers breakdown: Followers, listening time, etc.* Analytics* Thanks and looking back* Mailbag!* Email from Frank: Kind words and thanks* Email from Jesse: Beast spirit questions* Invertebrate beast spirits (e.g. octopus)?* Edge cases, writing inconsistencies and oversights* Where to draw the line on categories?* Happy New Year! See you in 2026!Find and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Vivane Province: Travel and Encounters* We're wrapping up our sixth year!* Great Roads: Heavily traveled* Some elemental earth built into them to help ease travel* Real world parallel: Roman roads* Vivane is (overall) more developed than Barsaive* Real world parallel: Pioneer-era United States West vs East* River travel* Vivane t'skrang compared to the Serpent River aropagoi* Musing on Riverboats and t'skrang culture* Piracy* Theran military patrols; where and how often* Reasons for military encounters* Typical patrol composition* Non-military members: Kedate and Praetori* Coaching hostelries* Earthdawn equivalent of a "truck stop"* "Not Tolkien" sidebar* What you can find at a hostelry* Outlying areas around the cities* Reactions to adepts walking around armed* Thoughts on updates for Fourth Edition* Highlighting differences between Vivane and BarsaiveFind and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Blades: Grave Wisdom* Interlude: In Search of Knowledge* Timeline and time limit discussion* No specific location; just in a library* Connected NPC: Vanyk Auldsinger* Like the previous interlude: Points the PCs in the direction of the answer.* The Adventure: Travel to Cara Fahd to find the Hold of Courage* Suggested travel encounters.* How post-Krathis Gron Cara Fahd can change things* Finding the Hold of Courage* Entering the Hold* Problems with the "rules" of entering the Hold* Statues and Soul Stones* Description of other aspects of the Hold* Attack by corrupted spirits* Answering the question* Destruction of the Hold* Capsule review: Straightforward location-based encounter* Possible tweaks and expansionsFind and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* We're back!* Post-hiatus update on Josh's latest theatrical production* Legends of Barsaive chapter 13 should be released soon!* FreedoniaCon: February 28-March 1* Overview of Theran Provinces from Vivane boxed set* Great Thera: Island in the Selestrean Sea (aka the Mediterranean)* Present-day Santorini/Thira* Creana: South of Great Thera; city states along river and up along eastern coast of the Selestran Sea* Inspired by ancient Egypt; desert, ancient tombs* The groundwork for the Theran Empire sourcebook was laid in this supplement.* Indrisa: Far to the east/southeast of Great Thera* Indian sub-continent* Brief descriptions of orks and trolls feels like Barsaive rehash* Marac: West/southwest of Great Thera* Inspired by Arabian Nights and similar materials* Talea: Due west of Great Thera* Italian peninsula; fell to Thera due to internal squabbles* Multiple city-states* Vasgothia: Northwest of Great Thera* Dense, haunted forests and forbidding mountains* Inspired by Roman interactions with Germanic tribes, Black Forest, etc.* Other areas* Araucania: Amazon Basin* Aznan: Sub-Saharan AfricaFind and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* We're still getting new listeners!* Sidebar about "jumping into the middle"* Continued sidebar about James Gunn's Superman* Mailbag!* Email from Eli: Ideas and inspiration for seaborne adventures?* Sidebar about campaign theme: Scavenger Hunt* Email from Scott: Recommended reading order for Earthdawn novels?* Email from Tim: Highland trolls outside Twilight Peaks?* Forgot to mention trolls from Kaer Otosk in southeast Barsaive* Email from Magic Octopus: Authors of Blades?* Our experience with running any of the adventures?* Another Email from Scott: More about Blades* Timing of learning about the curse?* What if they decide to discard the titular Blades because they're cursed?* Email from Patrick: Why weave a thread to the cursed Blades?* Sidebar about Josh's love of putting PCs he is playing in difficult situations.* Email from Robert: Callback to episode 51 and making game "less corny"* Attribute values and whether they make an actual difference in play.* Different ways to offer options and make mechanical choices "matter" in RPGs.* Some game design philosophy and examining assumptionsFind and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Blades in Depth: Bond Breaker* Lou P. responds to previous Blades episode* Origin of the interludes.* Concerns among the writers about the curse.* Short adventure* Written by Robin Laws* Interlude One: Secret of the Runes* Open-ended, lays groundwork to kick the story into motion.* Clearly provides what they need to learn and how they can learn it.* Good use of higher skill test results for additional detail/insight.* Handy NPC to provide key info if necessary.* Designed for Journeyman-tier characters.* Goal: To find Gnanagh to get key information.* Discussion of notable NPCs and their stats.* Copper Cauldron and the Wedding Feast* Early focus on role-playing and interacting with the orks* First meeting with Gnanagh and activating the curse.* The assassination attempt on Moschtug and its aftermath.* Pursuing the Righteous Vipers and Gnanagh.* The fortress and navigating the conflict.* Learning the Key Knowledge... and the curse.* Open-ended resolution, classic Robin Laws structure.* Solid adventure, but not an introduction to Earthdawn. Find and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Sky Point and Vivane Boxed Set* Josh and Dan's experience (or lack thereof) with the set* FASA's history with boxed sets* Overview of the box's contents* Publication history context* Not capturing attention or focus* Barsaive vs Vivane as a region* Dan's misconceptions* Sidebar about Earthdawn art* Vivane "province"?* Writers for the set* Overview of locations* Smaller geographical area but still much open area for GMs to develop* Perspective on Cara Fahd in the set* Cara Fahd and Theran slavery* Connection to Blades collection* Hildingrist Crest and magical weirdness* Perspective on LandisFind and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Introduction to Blades* Fantastic adventure collection.* Example of building story arcs around thread items.* Strongly aligned with Cara Fahd.* Using the items will make the game about the ork nation.* Book structure: Five adventures, each related to one Key Knowledge.* The Blades' curse and potential pitfalls.* While a good template, you don't need to go to this extent with all thread items in your game.* One line summaries of the different adventures.* Interludes to introduce how the characters learn the first part of each Key Knowledge.* History of the Blades of Cara Fahd.* Finding the Blades and Shattered Pattern.* The Powers of the Blades and number of player characters.* Deeds and Legend Points.* GM preparation before running the adventures.* Item History is helpful, but not required.* Non-orks and ties to the new Cara Fahd.* The introductory chapter to the book has good advice on potential player issues.Find and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Mailbag!* GenCon recap* Email from Chris: Space travelers using magic to travel to Earth?* Email from Patrick: Alachia, Immortal Elves, and the Books of Harrow* Email from Konrad: Plans to rework other old adventures for Fourth Edition?* Email from Matt: Many questions about the Passions?* Email from Brandon: Any information about old dwarf Kingdoms mentioned in Throal Sourcebook?* Expanding on undeveloped areas like Landis, Ustrecht, Scavia, etc?* Sourcebooks on other parts of the world?* Any information on the Slithering Wastes?Find and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Notable Places Within Cara Fahd* Quick recap of Kickstarter* Ancient Cara Fahd* Citadel of Tirthon* The Hold of Courage* The t'skrang of Kelpoya* The Black Quarry* Lelisthala - Former elf and troll slavesFind and Follow:Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcastFind and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchantGet product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.comFASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesincOfficial Earthdawn Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialearthdawnFASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9uEarthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW