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Welcome to one of the longest, and sweariest, episodes of Games From Folktales If you usually listen in with small children nearby, you’ll want to skip this one. The Neapolitans nobles are still indulging in their great love for potty humour, but things also get violent in these stories. XX: THE STONE IN THE COCK’S…

I’m a huge fan of Clark Ashton Smith, but have not been able to record his material for two reasons. First, he died after the US public domain year, which prevents me using his work. Second, TSR had a license for his work, and even used in in Dungeons and Dragons. It’s in X2 Castle…

This trio of stories doesn’t need a lot of work. I shall, therefore, laze about and let you listen, breaking in for minor notes. XVII: CANNETELLA It is an evil thing to seek for better than wheaten bread, for a man comes at last to desire what others throw away, and must content himself with…

We’ve covered this ritual in City and Guild, but time for some extra material. I thought this ritual was a pagan survival, but no, it was begun by the Pope himself. Ah, Catholics, doing pagan-sounding things right up until you research. We’ve reached the dogado of Sebastian Ziani. He’s from the richest family in Venice,…

Happy Samhain dear listener. You may be thinking “Timothy, you have gone mad. Samhain is Hallowe’en, and that is in October.” to which I answer “Ah, but I am in the Southern Hemisphere. Summer’s end is this weekend.” Also, I have too many Hallowe’en poems, and some extra space in my data plan for the…

In this episode the parallel plot lines diverge. One is filled with useful material, the other, not so much at this stage, but we’ve gone too far in for excerpts. Thanks again to Michele Fry and the Librvioxers for this audio. CHAPTER X: The Ebbing of Elfland Next morning Alveric came up the tower to…

This month the three stories we have from the Pentamerone don’t need a lot of elucidation on plot, but they have been bowdlerised in ways of interest to Ars Magica players. XI: THE THREE SISTERS It is a great truth that from the same wood are formed the statues of idols and the rafters of…

This didn’t go live on time: happy belated New Year! Plot hooks at the end. Night on the bloodstained snow: the wind is chill:And there a thousand tombless warriors lie,Grasping their swords, wild-featured. All are still.Above them the black ravens wheel and cry. A brilliant moon sends her cold light abroad:Hialmar arises from the reddened…

An origin story for a reskin of the pirates in “Tales of Power”.

CHAPTER VIIIThe Arrival of the Rune On a sunny May morning in Erl the witch Ziroonderel sat in the castle nursery by the fire, cooking a meal for the baby. The boy was now three years old, and still Lirazel had not named him; for she feared lest some jealous spirit of Earth or air…