Longwinded One: The Podcast

THIS EPISODE CONTAINS EACH NARRATIVE EPISODE FROM SEASON 4, IN ONE UNINTERRUPTED EPISODE. ENJOY!

Far East of the Sword Coast, the Shadovar and Uskevren have fallen. The Shadowstorm is no more. Sembia is fractured into city states. A mysterious hero rises from the ashes to usher in a new era of prosperity. Yet, there is still suffering. Cormyr and the wild elves of the Dalelands offer war on all sides. Earthmotes, madness, and shadow dragons plague the lands. These are the tales of the heroes who ended that suffering… 1491 DR The Year of Sembian Revival. 

Join us as we chat with the Archmage, Ed Greenwood, about Sembia. We learn from him about the process of writing The Halls of Stormweather, about the evolution of Forgotten Realms, and about the details that pertain directly to this podcast (who is Yeven, what exactly was Koril's Well, etc.). 

Archivos Podcast: 20 Minutes with Ed Greenwood https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/archivos-podcast-network/id495606011?i=1000350514067

Plotpoints Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plot-points/id768952889?i=1000462077700

Sembia References: https://longwinded.one/sembian-sources/

Fate of the Norns: https://pandemoniumbooks.com/collections/pendlehaven-games

The Ultimate Viking Anthology: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/avalkauskas/the-ultimate-viking-anthology?ref=geeknative

Join us as we chat with the voice actors who made this podcast happen. Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout this last year. We hope everyone enjoyed it.

The morning after the battle inside of Old Hazard Farm... We find out what comes next for our heroes. Mitoa goes to Cormyr (with something in tow). Ciran heads to Battledale. Jendal stays at the Farm. And Sonya heads off on a secret adventure.

Thaisce takes Mitoa and Jendal to Old Hazard Farm. Inside the group battles the shadar-kai and their leader, Kaligax. Jendal encounters Lana. And though both she and Jendal end up badly beaten, Lana sacrifices herself to save her adopted brother. Thaisce finds the tablets and transports them to safety, and the rest of the party readies themself for an Aldond reunion.

As Aldond breaks down the door to the ballroom, the Battle Royale begins. Thaisce and Aldond battle Fargo. The others battle the Helms. During the fight, the Source is damaged and Sonya has to hold Selgaunt aloft with the power of her mind (and ultimately take the earthmote back to the Selgaunt crater). In the end, Fargo is dispatched, and Thaisce, Jendal, and Mitoa head to the farm. Ciran stays behind to look after the unconscious/exhausted body of Sonya.

The scene opens as Gryff, the shadow dragon of Thera and Bhaal's creation, and Tunorimorgil fight to the death. Mitoa rides on the back of Tunori, helping him navigate the shadow stepping creature. Then, we find the rest of the party in the Hunting Garden of the Hulorn, inside of Selgaunt (the now earthomote). When all hope at surviving seems lost, a polymorphed Mitoa flies in as a dragon. Fargo and his Blades retreat to the palace. The party follows and is trapped in the ballroom with an injured Source and all of the Helms. As the episode closes, we hear the banging of an unknown person, trying to get into the ballroom.

This episode brings with it the last of our one-on-one cast interviews. Ben played parts in the show from Tunori to Adon. He helped to bring personality to many supporting parts. Come and listen as we get to know our cast member a little better.

The party finds themselves transported to The Scar, just outside of Sembia. There, they find the last beacon, and discover the Shaking Plague has come back in a big way. Just as they realize they can't destroy the last beacon without causing problems, they hear the Selgaunt earthmote float over Scardale. Approaching the city the heroes find themselves pitted against the inflicted townspeople, the ballistae from Selgaunt and the approaching shadow dragon- Griff! Just when all hope is lost, Mitoa comes riding in on Tunorimorgil, and The Source gives a little aid.

We begin the episode with a flashback just after Mitoa received his first Harper mission. His handler speaks to him about seeking out Aldond, and "doing what is right" for Sembia. Then, we fast forward to the present, where somehow Mitoa and Aldond both emerge from the new forests of Ordulin- the wasteland caused by the Maelstrom having been eradicated by the planting of the Koril Seed. As Mitoa begins to question Aldond, a familiar black dragon shows up!

Ciran awakes to find himself in the Shadowfell. What's worse? He is in the courtyard of the Fortress of Memories. Beside him are the bodies of his friends. The Raven Queen does that "bad guy monologue" when the grace of Hanali pulls the spirits of Thaisce, Jendal, and Sonya away from the dark. They awaken and begin to be transported to Scardale. However, before they can leave, the Raven Queen leaves them with a picture of what is happening to Jendal's adopted family- Lana and Prospero. Little does he know that they are the keepers of the Tablets of Fate at Old Hazard Farm, where Kaligax and his Shadar-kai brothers have just arrived.

The party discovers that the Hole of Yhaunn is no longer just a dead magic zone. In parts of the Hole, the potency of magic is doubled! After Spitze dispatches the rest of his friends, Ciran uses "something he won in an 'Ante' game back in Westgate" to destroy Spitze. Then, Adon says a fond farewell to Ciran, by offering the grace of Lady Goldheart. 

In this episode we get to know Steve, the man behind the monk. We also talk about Star Wars, past campaigns, and what is to come for Jendal. Enjoy.

Spitzes, One of the "children" of Thera, is alone in the Hole of Yhaunn. He knows that something has happened to his mother. But his brother, Griff, reaches out after he escapes the fallout of the Koril Seed in Ordulin. The shadow dragon brothers plot their revenge on Sonya and her group. Meanwhile, in Selgaunt, The Source, Fargo, and Kaligax plot their next steps. 

In this episode, we interview the esteemed John Pruden. He voiced our beloved Erevis Cale, Magadon Kest, and Drasek Riven in eight of the Sembia novels. We find out about his recording process, his interaction with Audible and Wizards of the Coast, and- as a special treat- he reads a snippet of "All the Sinners' Saints" (a short story published in Dragon Magazine #297).

After a brief rest, the group begin talking about their next steps. Aldond appears to be out from under the influence of the Raven Queen, yet still in withdrawal from the power of his sword. The group senses some helms being slaughtered outside the walls of Sakkors, and braces for the coming of Thera (The Ravager) and her dragon, Griff. In the chaos that unfolds, the group realizes that Aldond has thrown himself into he ravine, likely in an ill-fated attempt to find his blade. Sonya shadow steps the group away from Ordulin, but Mitoa stays behind to plant the Koril Seed. The rest of the group step through the shadows to Yhaunn.

The battle with Aldond is on. Ciran does some swashbuckling with Aldond and his blade, Aurumordic. Jendal rescues Thaisce from the ledge. Sonya is alive (and knocks the blade out of Aldond's hands). Thaisce uses Celestiar to dispel Aurumordic and Ciran throws the sword off of the bridge and into the ravine. Then the group ponders what to do with the defeated Lord High Governor...

In this pivotal episode, the party meets Aldond Talendar in the Inner Sanctum of Sakkors. The Source leave's Sonya's body for the new mythallar that Aldond and and his Shadar-kai have constructed (with the help of the Raven Queen). And just before all hell breaks loose, the mythallar teleports away to Selgaunt.

The crew heads along just north of the Dawnpost from Yeven's Shrine. Eventually, they make it to the destruction that was formerly the capital- Ordulin. There they encounter the Shadar-kai, led by their leader Kaligax. When a battle ensues, Ciran's brother, Firin, comes to their rescue.

With the heroes reeling from Sonya's death, the doors of Yeven's Shrine open to the upper levels. Adon brings them up to meet the caretaker of the shrine, Tassarion. Tassarion tells Ciran that he is a noble elf, son of a powerful elven woman named Yeven, who preached the "duality" of the Seldarine. The group decides that the next move should be to take Sonya's body "home" to the ruins of Sakkors - in Ordulin.

Having escaped Thera in Ravager form and her dragon Griff. We learn that Ciran found an Avenorani flower and wished his way (at the suggestion of Adon) to his mother's home- Yeven's Shrine. Appearing in the underground rooms of the shrine, the crew learns that the elves used this space for grand trance experiences, and that they may not leave the space without having experienced a vision. Mitoa glimpses a vast ruined cavern with a glowing orb. Ciran appears in the "Hole" and speaks to Thera's other dragon, named Spitze. Thaisce appears near a city, "where the scar meets the sea." There a mountain emerges from the clouds. And Jendal hears his long-lost "sister's" words through Sonya's dying lips.

Come chat with the author/editor of such things such as: Star Wars Insider, Amazing Stories, and Dragon Magazine. In this episode Dave Gross talks about his time at TSR, Wizards of the Coast, and Paizo Publishing. He also talks about his love of Forgotten Realms and the characters of Tamlin and Talbot Uskevren from Selgaunt.

Dave Gross Official Site (see the pinned post on the order of the Radovan & the Count novels) http://frabjousdave.com

Handsome Siblings https://www.netflix.com/title/80996973

Defenders of Dunbury Castle https://aetaltis.com

Jeremiah and Evelyn stopped by to chat about their characters. Join us to learn more about Thiasce and Thera. 

The party hopes to escape the sound of dragon wings by checking out the cave at Ramblecoats where supposedly Aldond first came across Aurumordic. But inside the cave there is a Shadow Crossing to the Shadowfell. A female voice emanates from the rift and the Raven Queen distracts everyone long enough for Thera to get a seemingly fatal blow on Sonya. When Ciran, in a mad rage, stabs Thera she begins transforming into an Avatar of Bhaal- the Ravager. Jendal pops his potion of Giant Strength and wrestles with the Ravager. Refusing to kill the Ravager, the group escapes to outside of the falls where they run face to face with the Shadow Dragon, Griff. And The Ravager comes up from behind. Thera tells the dragon to unleash its breath weapon, but Adon's new-found friend, Thiasce ("Hash-ca") blocks the blast. And just when everyone thinks they have met their end Ciran finds something on the banks of the River...

Kaligax begins to set up a perimeter around Ordulin, expecting the party to be passing through any day. Aldond and Fargo discuss what will happen if The Source doesn't cooperate. And Thera finds out there are hidden gifts associated with being a chosen of Bhaal.

In this episode, the characters walk north from Archenbridge to find the dark cave where Aldond found the blade Aurumordic (Chroninastis). On the way to the hamlet of Ramblecoats Jendal explains about his past as an orphan, and his first experience with an Avenorani flower. Upon finding the scary cave, they immediately need to take shelter inside (due to the sound of a circling dragon getting louder and louder.

The party ends their travels from Fairhaven with a pint at Archenbridge's famous tavern, The Drunken Lion. It turns out Ciran's old friend Kien runs the bar there. Kien tells the group about the day they fished all of the soldiers out of the river from the Battle of Rumblecoats. They also learn that one of the Helms who helped bring the bodies out of the River Arken still lives in town. When they visit him, they learn of a mysterious cave in Ramblecoats where Aldond possibly first came into contact with Aurumordic.

The author of Shattered Mask, Richard Lee Byers, sat down with us and talked this experience writing in the realm. We talked about: his chosen character in the Uskevren family (Shamur), his  preferred writing practices, and his favorite hobbies.

As the main characters escape from the Helms at Fairhaven, across Toril there is a Minister of Ao, named Thiasce (pronounced "Hash-Ca") that is activated from 1,000 years of waiting in owl form. The Deva learns about his past from the temple keeper, a sphinx known as Icosios. He learns of his past trauma and of his burning blade, Celestiar. Thiasce can vaguely see the party's role in securing the Tablets of Fate, and he can also see the danger they are walking into. 

The party is being escorted to the Corinthal Estate outside of Saerb. During the trek, it is unclear whether the Helm Commander, Fargo Pennerent, recognizes the disguised Mitoa and Sonya. The group learns that Aldond Talendar was also once a Helm, and was thought dead in a skirmish along the Daleland border, called the Battle of Rumblecoats. Upon reaching the estate, the group manages to escape. They head to Archenbridge to follow up on the details about Aldond's supposed dead, and his emergence with the sword of state, Aurumordic.

The crew enters the famed town of Saerb, and discover an annual festival going on. This festival celebrates the defeat of the Rich Tharuighagh, by the Battlemaster of Tempus, named Brandon. The celebration has a contest called "Find the Phylactery," which the party reluctantly plays to "blend in." After finding the phylactery, they earn a mysterious potion and are presented with a vacation to the Corinthal Estate by the commander of the Helms, Fargo Pennerent. 

You have had the pleasure to get to know Sonya already. Now, you get the same sort of behind-the-scenes look at Ciran, Mitoa, and the players that both created and voice them. 

In this episode the Elves knock Ciran unconscious. And in this state, Ciran remembers training in the wild with his father, Esperan. He also remembers that Firin is no stranger, after all. Meanwhile, A tressym named Adon shows up and wants to show Ciran the way to his mother's shrine - called Yeven's Shrine.

Having just left the tomb of Ravena, the group wanders through the grasslands just east of the Stone Bridge, where the Saerbians once escaped the Shadowstorm and Sakkors. They see a cairn marking the spot where the Dawnlord had fallen from the sky to smite the nightwalker. The group discusses the truth of Sonya's past and gets to telepathically meet The Source. At that moment Aldond's new mythallar makes itself known in Ordulin/Sakkors. The group just decides to head east, when they are surrounded by the Wild Elves, led by Firin.

In this episode we learn that Thera, though badly wounded, survived the Battle of Drelt. Having just arrived in Yhaunn, she proceeds into the quarry (called the Hole of Yhaunn). Inside, you discover what they have been doing with all of those black dragons... In Selgaunt, you learn that Aldond is planning for his own demise, and he schemes with Fargo about the nature of The Source... In Ordulin, you learn that Kaligax, "The Collector," is told by the Raven Queen to lure The Source to their newly constructed mythallar. 

Join Sonya, Mitoa, Ciran, and Jendal as they enter the tomb of Ravena, Daughter of the Rain outside of Kulta. There they hope to learn more about the Sembian sword of state, named Aurumordic, that Aldond now carries. It once belonged to Rauthavyr, first ruler of Sembia. And Ravena, was his bride.

After a tenday of walking and fighting, the group arrives in the village of Kulta. There they meet Godfrey, a local magistrate. From Godfrey, they learn about how the marketplace in Kulta lies on what is referred to as "The Crossroads," and why there are so many yaks in Kulta (and that they are owned by the Hokkera family). Godfrey directs them to Galiena Riyoma, the Harper contact, who is out on her morning walk. With Galiena's help, they begin to analyze the Battlerise orb/beacon.

The "Hokkera" family name is used, with permission, from robsworld.org.

Lady Luck granted us an asynchronous interview with the Clayton Emery, the author of the "Night School" short story from "The Halls of Stormweather." Learn about the architect of the Tamlin Uskevren character, and about his time writing for TSR and WotC (Wizards of the Coast).

The episode begins in a flashback of Sonya's last few moments on Sakkors. From the flashback we learned that she was one of the last shadovar off of the earthmote before it crashed into the ruins of the Ordulin Maelstrom. We learned that she has a living sentience inside her, called The Source. We learned that her given name was Alashar, and that the Most High (the leader of the shadovar) knew her and came back to save her, for some reason. After Sonya is pulled back to the present, we learn that Cecil and Thera are battling, and that Tunorimorgil has rescued the black dragon wyrmling from the confines of Drelt.

The party arrives in the "hunter's hamlet" of Drelt. They explain to Cecil that the Black Dragon, Tunorimorgil, wants them outside the city walls. Based on pride or courage, Cecil agrees to face the dragon outside before Eventide. While waiting for the dragon, Thera and the Helms approach from the south. And just as tensions are rising high, Tunori arrives inside of the city in order to free a black dragon wyrmling that Cecil and his crew had captured.

The party meets the mysterious black-robed figure just as they leave the swamp. Introducing himself as Tunori, he offers to usher the group through the hills if they help him with a very specific task. The group isn't pleased with the task, or with who the figure turns out to be...

Come listen as we talk to Marco, who created the Shadovar character, and Abby, who plays her on the podcast. Learn about her character build, the evolution of her personality, and possibly some Easter eggs (if you listen carefully).

Join us for this first interview of Season 4. Philip Athans was the Managing Editor at Wizards of the Coast when the Sembia: Gateway to the Realms, the Erevis Cale trilogy, and the Twilight War trilogy came out. He was THE Forgotten Realms guy over at Wizards, and we got to spend an hour with him! Come learn about the editorial and author selection process for the Sembia related novels. And listen as we discuss the transitions from 2nd to 4th editions. This was a lot of fun!

Heading through the Vast Swamp is one of the most dangerous things you can do in Sembia. But Lady Tymora seems to bless their path, as they bump into a Sharptooth Lizardfolk near the source of the Darkflow River. They work together to battle pursuing Shadar-kai wraiths. After regrouping back at the Sharptooth village they are rewarded by the Blackscale tribe taking them to the edge of the Infested Hills. There they spot an interesting man in black...

Want to hear from the antagonists? In this episode we hear from Kaligax, the leader of the Shadar-kai. We hear from Aldond Talendar and his patron. And finally, we hear from Thera, the Deathstalker. Not a feel-good episode... Unless you like the sound of a dragon eating a guy...

This is an immediate continuation of the last episode, where Sonia and the voice seek out the source of a magical aura from a ruined manor house in Battlerise. There she finds some Sembian Helms guarding a spherical "beacon." She she tries to acquire the orb, she is attacked by the Helms and by the Shadar-kai. Jendal, Ciran, and Mitoa come to help Sonya and the orb gets broken, causing the magical effects of the beacon to end... and those plunging the newly formed earthmote of Jarliel (which we mistakenly call Jariel) to the ground- killing everyone in Jarliel. When Mitoa's Harper friend, Harald, is attacked by the Shadar-kai, he orders Mitoa and crew to go north into the Vast Swamp. Their goal- to find out more about the beacon and about Aldond's relationship to the Shadar-kai.

In this episode, we meet another of our new heroes, Jendal, as he comes into West Battlerise. He approaches the river just as the Sembians begin a dark ritual on the eastern shore of the Darkflow River. The ground swallows up the Cormyrean army. Jendal spends the next few days trying to dig out survivors. That is when Ciran, Sonya, and Mitoa stroll into town looking for the Harper contact, Harald. Sonya begins hearing the voice again, as it attempts to direct her to a powerful source of magic.

There is trouble the morning after the undead fight! Sonya has an encounter with the Shadar-kai hitman that are looking for her. The group makes for Daerlun through the Red Water Meadow. There, they realize they are being following. Seeing shelter, they seek out the only help in the area, a crazy old arch druid named Koril.

Welcome to Jarliel (which we mistakenly call Jariel), a port town on the Red Water Meadow in Sembia. On the eve of Greengrass, we meet Sonya, who awakes chained to the ceiling in a holding cell. We meet old friends, Ciran and Mitoa who discuss Mitoa's new Harper mission. At the Foremast, the three characters join together to battle a recent uprising of undead- another of the random wild magic events happening in the realm.