Episode 7. Trials and Tribulation

Mother Marrow, the first full-length novel set in the Hallowtide Universe, follows the citizens of New Keslem caught in the grip of a mysterious blight that rots their livestock from the inside out and withers their crops in the fields. Pushed to the brink by hunger, the villagers whisper of dark forces at work and turn on their neighbors. Into this powder keg are thrust a young woman caught between her fairytale youth and grim reality, a would-be scholar schooled in everything but human cruelty, and a broken farmer who may hold the key to a ruinous salvation. ​Mother Marrow combines folk horror, dark fantasy, and cosmic threat into a narrative that explores the meaning of community and the madness of love. ​Available October 16th on Amazon. Music courtesy of fidelfortune on Pixabay. Stay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

The third episode of the Crimson Pilgrimage series finds a group of hunters tasked with hunting a killer pack in the winter woods. They soon discover that their prey are not common wolves. The bloody beasts soon turn the tables, and the surviving hunters are forced to confront nature at its most pitiless as they make a mad dash through the frozen wilderness back to civilization. You can find the quickplay rules for the Hallowtide skirmish game at https://blacksitestudio.com/products/hallowtide-quickstart-previewSound effects for the episode were all found thanks to Freesounds.orgANGRY DOG BARK SNARL with Reverb.wav by deleted_user_3424813 -- https://freesound.org/s/260777/ -- License: Attribution 3.0Tearing flesh.wav by aworldwhere -- https://freesound.org/s/434394/ -- License: Attribution 3.0Walking on Snow Short Loop 04.wav by Debsound -- https://freesound.org/s/381535/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.001290 wolf howl 4.wav by Robinhood76 -- https://freesound.org/s/81904/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0Wolf run.wav by sabotovat -- https://freesound.org/s/414350/ -- License: Attribution 3.0Stay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

The second episode of the Crimson Pilgrimage series leading up to the events of the Red Gods chronicle found in the Hallowtide Skirmish Game. Tonight we check in on a struggling musician so desperate for inspiration that he begins to listen to the strange music of the night, but soon finds that such inspiration comes at a horrible price. You can find the quickplay rules for the Hallowtide skirmish game at https://blacksitestudio.com/products/hallowtide-quickstart-previewSound effects for the episode were all found thanks to Freesounds.orgViolin - D5 by MTG -- https://freesound.org/s/356181/ -- License: Attribution 3.0Classical Violin Minor by TheFlyFishingFilmmaker -- https://freesound.org/s/641692/ -- License: Attribution 4.0Bat Screech by richcraftstudios -- https://freesound.org/s/770720/ -- License: Attribution 4.0Bats Fluttering 1.wav by JamesFarrell_97 -- https://freesound.org/s/566245/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 3.0Stabbing Watermelon by theshaggyfreak -- https://freesound.org/s/320361/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0Scary violin melody by Victor_Natas -- https://freesound.org/s/553484/ -- License: Attribution 4.0Stay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

Welcome back!I know it has been a long time, but Hallowtide is becoming a skirmish game by Black Site Studios. This is the first episode in a new mini-series that serves as a prologue to the campaign found in the core rulebook. In this first episode, a mother chooses to spare a very special piglet. Hallowtide is intended for mature audiences, and listener discretion is advised. Attributions Barn Door creek.aif by MAJ061785 -- https://freesound.org/s/85509/ -- License: Attribution 3.0Kathotiya, manual wheat harvest 1.mp3 by JordiF -- https://freesound.org/s/191379/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 3.0Heatbeat  Normal Faster Normal.wav by Benboncan -- https://freesound.org/s/108841/ -- License: Attribution 4.0Punching someone and dragging them away (without "GAH!") by pfranzen -- https://freesound.org/s/423216/ -- License: Attribution 4.0Meat Slap 3.aif by MWLANDI -- https://freesound.org/s/85847/ -- License: Attribution 3.0Sick_In_Toilet_01.wav by Koops -- https://freesound.org/s/13652/ -- License: Attribution 4.0Stay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

Hope Henley had presided over her compound for as long as anyone could remember. She had buried two husbands and three children before it was finally her time. Some said that she was simply too mean and that Death himself was afraid of her. However, no matter how ferocious a life may be - Death comes for us all in his own time. Now, all that is left is to say the prayers and pay your respects lest she refuse to cross to that other side and haunt those lacking in proper respect. The first live recording hosted at Snug Books in Baltimore, MD. T. Stay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

The hunters bring fire to New Keslem and are united with old allies in a final desperate showdown against the godlike Prophet of Mother Marrow. Stay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

The hunters find themselves unwilling welcomes into the family of the New Growth, currently presided over by the beautiful and powerful Midowen. However, it becomes clear that Midowen was not the first prophet, and uncovering the secret of the first sacrifice might hold some clue to their salvation. Theme Music: "Gnarled Situation" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Incidental Music: "Ossuary 6 - Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ None of the SFX need attributionStay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

On the continent of Korvast, the Castaways constantly drift from one location to another, driven by an invisible pull that draws them together even as it keeps them from ever settling for long. The only community the Castaway know are their caravans, the chosen families who grant each other companionship and some manner of safety on the often dangerous roads they are compelled to travel. Among these many convoys, there is one group that must travel their path alone: the mysterious and misunderstood Black Caravan tasked with mass graves, crypts, and mausoleums and crewed by those not long for this world.Tonight we peel back a layer of this mystique to reveal the origin of the Unbinding Spear. The Storyteller’s Spear was written by Christopher Bunge and performed by Ben TurleyStay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

Extract from the larger works of famed monster hunter and occult researcher, Heinrich Valbrand. While the man himself may be lost, generations of slayers have been saved time and again by the wisdom contained within his writings. This particular manuscript pertains to the living statues known as gaunts; addressing their varieties, construction, and weaknesses in an effort to aid would-be hunters.  We are releasing the first episode of Valbrand's Guide on the podcast but future releases will be Patreon exclusives. If you would like to get more information on the fearful denizens of the world of Hallowtide, along with full stat blocks for Dungeons and Dragons 5e and Pathfinder 2e and additional rewards, support the podcast over at patreon.com/thedarkmeanders. Stay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com

Tonight we follow in the footsteps of the strange creature known only as Babel as he steals a moment to dream. What stranger things haunt the dreams of monsters?Stay up to date on the Hallowtide universe at www.worldofhallowtide.com