[PUBLIC EPISODE] The Wizard, the Witch and the Wild One: ep029 "The Spy"
Everybody's gotta serve somebody. But who? Who exactly is calling the shots? And how can you tell who anyone else is working for? Finding out can be expensive. It takes sacrifice, subterfuge, diplomacy, a poker face, a long look in the mirror, and worst of all: networking. All this and more, we give gladly, for the sustaining and preservation of great magic.
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Produced, designed, and scored by Taylor Moore at Fortunate Horse with exquisite design and editing help from Jared Olson.
SPECIAL THANKS TO: Tazer Army, Shannon, and Amanda Freberg.
Album art by the great Corey Brickley
Comments (157)
Hullo from my re-listen, but it took me TOO LONG to hear "Injury" in the name Indri 🫠🫠🫠
Oh no. Bad thought: When does the promise about retinue not bringing harm to the castle end? If those 2 wizards do have to go get backup from the Citadel, does that count? I was assuming that Indri meant "while present at my home" but doesn't actually say that ever
Man, relistening to Children's Adventure after this episode just goes too hard. Suvi literally has PTSD from SO MANY things when she was young that on relisten, it makes me think about all her actions all over again in a new light.
Seriously. Relistening to this show in binges gives me different appreciations for Suvi. I forgot how much trauma and pressure and abandonment she's been through. The tender moments at this conclave made me so happy because Ame and Eursulon paused and acknowledged what she's going through. It's not that they neglect her... but they don't always notice when stuff happens to her. It's like when everyone expects you to be strong because "you always are," people stop asking you if you're okay.
Relistened to the young Hakea scene several times because the music was so good. In my mind it’s called Hakea’s Dream
I’m a little bit worried about a potential secret that was set up a few episodes ago and this one as well. For there to be so few witches left and ALL of them to have hated Wren somehow isn’t exactly contradictory, but it is telling. Given their ages, I’m concerned they might actually have a few reasonable points against her (probably having to do with the citadel). I wouldn’t exactly be shocked if Wren was into some shady business that Ame never learned about, but the coven did. We already have some doubts about the wizard Sly, after all.
Alternative title: My Dinner With Indri
The spirits are always either fighting, feasting, or fucking and they are certainly up to some fuckery at the end of the episode!
Now maybe my memory is terrible and please correct me if I'm wrong, but did Brennan describe Yoren in an "Asian male body"? And is there not someone in Suvi's retinue that matched the full description that Aabria gave? I need to go check the transcripts again. But I am torn on if I want to be right or wrong. 👀 EDIT: Yoren's hair is longer in the star memory, but everything else seems to match Rasper's description. 👀
Interesting idea. Steel picked the crew, should know Eoighorain by sight, and has been using every magical means at her disposal to find him. More likely this is a different Asian-featured person, since there are sure to be many in the world
The tinkling sound effect of the glass constructs is wonderful
I couldn’t stop screaming in the last couple minutes of this episode…DANGER EVERYWHERE DANGER EVERYWHERE
That CLIFFHANGER!! Amazing. I gasped SO loud.
Did anyone catch when Indri said to Ame“If you are to be the last of the Witch of the World’s Heart then you would have deserved it”? That sounded like an outright threat though a bit veiled as she could have meant that Ame is worthy of her station.
I gasped when Indri said that. Fully heard it as a threat
I'm enjoying this immensely! Thank you all! I could use a cheat sheet with the names of all the witches and all the beings in the retinues. So many names I've never heard before are hard to keep in my brain through the passing weeks.
Another fan has started a wiki page! It's still being built out, but it does have this page with all the Coven of Elders https://worldsbeyondnumber.miraheze.org/wiki/Coven_of_Elders
If we're worried about heinrule it's worth noting that hacaea has "verdant slumber" a 14th level subclass feature that stabilizes creatures when they'd die. If he's within 60, if she wants to use it, if she woke up before this happened, and if it works on decapitated bodies. But hey there's some hope?
It's possible that she delayed Ame's ruling so this situation could play out. It's possible she's not even sleeping. I want to believe she's a good egg, but I have a bad feeling about the whole thing.
Okay but Brennan was absolutely channeling Zac Oyama when the Fox "plays cool". Straight from a Game Changer episode. Perfection. No notes. 10/10.
I felt for our Fox buddy in that moment; one of the greatest laughs I've ever received from a room full of people was when my senior year theatre teacher teacher gave me the stage direction to ' act cool' and I made an earnest attempt 😎 I keep that memory in a sacred place within my mind as a sort of personalized version of 'Memento Mori'. Just like the Fox; all cute, no cool. 🤷🏻♀️
I think the hit is coming the King of Night, taking out the guardian of the Witch of the World’s Heart is a good way to knock out any barriers in the way of killing her. Seems to be a Spirit (in turn Witches too) vs Wizards battle coming up
The last part of the episode is truly like a how a serpent moves to kill with the music. They slowly moved into position getting him drunk/ off kilter with the slow build of the music, dropping small hints with King of Night then snapping out killing Hyndrul. Eurselon is trouble he run either otherwise it’s up Tyler and Brennan is damn good
Ame is definitely getting better at word chess when dealing with these witches, especially Indri
I'm paraphrasing but "It would be a shame for the coven to go from 5 to 3" definitely got me
Yall really did it this time
Ok I have listened multiple times and I have questions: Eurselon knowing what happened to Suvi's fellow wizard, would be not be more on guard when going away from his friends? Suvi is justifying the music box we know why, but if she thought it was JUST a music box, she is not freaked out more about surveillance tech? Bc maybe she assumes the citadel has surveillance things happening all the time I do want to know more about Eoighorain and where he's been. And also the wizard who is randomly in a tower somewhere...could be Eoighorain? Or is he not considered a wizard but a sorcerer or something else? Were all the Antivillists wizards for sure? Thought the music box was already open for sure but haven't listened back to that yet. The music at the woods scene is FREAKY good, very unsettling.
While Suvi was in the library, I heard 2 sound effects that sounded like doors closing and held my breath, waiting for Indri to walk in. Nothing happened, and no one mentioned them. Am I missing something?
The music was good last episode and it got better this episode. The boolean searching reference was good. There's soo much you could look up at the well of stars. A.G.
The end of this episode had me screaming in my car 💀💀💀
Obviously he took off his “whimsical events” hat while getting into the water.
They should make whimsical swimming caps. -t
That ending was WILD, webs within webs
Aabria is so fucking good, absolutely incredible
Eursolon's relationship with liquor. Is he in control? I'm not sure. It seems like if there's none around he's fine but if there is he gets way into it.
There is a lot of mythology around spirits and indulgence. In liquor particularly , and other things also
“A little bit of Straw on my face” oof
If I wanted to trigger this much anxiety, I’d watch the news.
Brennan WTF!?? ❤️
Brennan "Kill That Dog" Lee Mulligan strikes true.
🤣 It may be too soon to say this, but I DECLARE IT 📜 🌿: Hakea is a total mood, everything I aspire to be, and probably my favorite witch 😂 (besides Ame, obviously, Brennan)
Also wolf guy seemed like a really cool dude, fuck these two other guys too
Man all my friends are behind on this podcast and I am DYING of not being able to talk about what the fuck just happened. Suvi WHAT?!? EURSOLON!!! Also fuck this bitch we gotta get Nif in on this station, she can learn from the stars. I'm sure SOMEONE has done it before.
*tf2 theme plays*
Naram giving Eurselon water breathing two arcs ago: this is an important tool that will help us later
What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck
Holy shit balls. This is gonna be a long two weeks!! 😭😫
I spent the whole section after Brennan said ‘you take the poisoned condition’ going OH NO every ten seconds.
Anyone else up to date with Dr Who and drawing comparisons between the Sutekh & The Traveller?
I wasnt before but now i am especially with the traveler being the one who waits (for a ywar)
Fuck, Skye needs to get back to the ship. Rasper...😵🤯
oh jesus christ
WHAT?! What the ACTUAL F*CK!
JESUS WHAT
I KNEW theyd given Eursulon an easier riddle as a manipulation thing
Orima of the Reaching Green pick me up I'm fucking scared
Fuck I hate how in these moments you only begin to know how deeply wrong something is when it's far too late
Wait I’m listening to episode Two right now, and The flipping book that Steele gives to grandmother Ren via Suvi; Its constellations She knew about the well!!! She knew about the library!
Aren’t they constellations of the southern sky? I wonder if there is an important juxtaposition to all of the story taking place in the relative north so far…
What happens when every ep is a banger? When the ep ended I just was compelled to say God Dammit! and now I wait…
Another banger
Sweet Mercy, what an episode! The story, the twists and turns, and that ending! Taylor, the way you structured the sound design towards the end. I've never had sounds to match the feeling of being stalked by predators at night, but you brought out that primeval feeling via that orchestration. Thank you, Archmage Sound (Taylor Moore)!!
Archmage Sound! Of course!
The singing for the coven is giving Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when the other two schools absolutely slay their song - and Howarts is….. oh, hogwarts.
Anyone else here also a dungeon and daddies fan who just got hit with two back to back wild endings XD
I'm about to listen to the latest Dungeons and Daddies EP. Now I'm excited!
For anyone who needs to dig through the transcripts to find the spelling of "yor-in," I've got your back: Eoighorain
Brennan embracing thst Irish naming convention
So I love Brennan but he’s a straight menace in the last 5 minutes of an episode
Brennan Lee Mulligan goin ham in the final five like his name is Vince Gilligan
Oh shit, did Eursulon just get '90s femme fataled!?
The Water Bear will be just fine, much to Batse's surprise.
The way Aabria plays Suvi is just so fuckin rad. Not only is she finding justifications for Suvi's actions to fulfill the terms of the Gaes, but the emotions behind the justifications feel so REAL and mesh with the emotional turmoil that the character is already having!! Like I'm honestly not surprised that the other PCs never picked up on anything related to Suvi's secret quest: everything Suvi has done has been so IN CHARACTER. Advancing a secret plot and the character's arc at the same time just seems so fuckin tricky and it's super mind-blowing to watch unfold.
Omfg
FUCK A DUCK this pod is unbelievable i gotta listen again and gather my thoughts
2 subtle things I appreciated: Ame said "to reduce the conclave from 5 to 3," instead of 4, and Indri didn't correct her. Brennan said Heinrul had wrestled Eursulon so many times that he was exhausted, before we come into the second half of the drunken scene.
and then aabria and lou IMMEDIATELY start talking about how the obvious strategy would be to keep that detail secret, so Indri can't start working defense against that line of attack. i had to pause the recording and lie down on the floor for a moment
Hekaya is Eve-inspired... is this anything? Serpents. Gardens. The first and the oldest. Some kind of fight involving a tree, from which something is taken. No idea if it was an intentional inspiration or not, but if so, huge kudos and I absolutely LOVE the interpretation. Witches are both good and bad in myth... Eve is interpreted as a both positive and negative figure depending on the source... Eve as the earliest witch figure and also the mother of humanity....that's such a COOL connection to make...the part of my brain that enjoys literary analysis is tingling haha.
That is such a cool thing you're pointing out, but what if we push it further and it's actually a Lilithh/Eve combo inspo situation? Lilith (from what I remember) is the first witch/mother of the dark forces in some mythologies, so what if it's an archetype of the two? To symbolise life/death, light/dark, etc
Oh FUCK dude what if Hacaea is close to dying, and that’s what the rest of the Coven is banking on. No one else has to be banished from the Coven to get down to three
Ooooooh that's too real... because Indri didn't even seem to flinch when Ame slid that bit about 5 to 3 in there... damn...
will there even be a coven after this arc 😭😭😭😭😭
Ya gotta be kidding me! How are we supposed to wait two weeks on that cliff hanger 😭🐻
One day at a time. -t
I loved being clued into the music box secret!
Something about the way they said CONTRACT made my silly little head wonder if citadel wizards will somehow or already have become fiends.
Brennan! Brennan Brennan Brennan. How can you stop there! And not even a Fireside chat for another week! And two weeks until the next episode?! I'm going to dieeee...
Wow! Poor Eursulon! I did knot see that cumming.
Take my like and leave please lol
Who does everyone picture the npc’s as? Personally I can only see steal as Miranda otto
Alternate title "The Wizard Sky Sees Some Shit She Maybe Shouldn't Have Seen"
Just when I thought we had all the pieces assembled for the coming conflict, it complicates and twists further....Jesus H, Brennan...so well performed, all. Loved the Suvi moment of leaving the blood on and the tenderness between the party between all of them even in the midst of this complex line of trust and conflict. Great ep. What happens next ughhhhh???? Can the next two weeks be here already? :)
BRENNAN! BRENNAN WHAT THE FUCK?? That ending omfg 😧
Ahhhhhhhh
Oof. Am I the only one now concerned that that whole thing at the end is going to end with Eursulon being framed for murdering the partner of a witch??
Oh shit I never considered that, but that's a fucked up possibility that could further complicate EVERYTHING. Especially as they said they would duel to the death, even as a joke...
Wait, do other witches KNOW about Indri’s past? Like, killing her mentor and stuff (maybe, also, while we’re at it, also killing her apprentices at regular intervals)? Not sure what they would do about it, but I wonder how much they know. Although… I can imagine that, given Indri’s rage at her former mentor, that she also wasn’t… great. That being said, Indri being appropriately taken aback by Mirara stealing a cup was hilarious!!
Indri being messy makes me really think she may have been wicked this whole time
This episode is EVERYTHING!
Heinrul seeming pretty omega at the end there ngl
he got alpha'd on all over the place, should have had his head in the game
*sigh* gonna be a long 2 weeks.
Same, bestie
Where can we post potential questions for fireside chats? Here? Somewhere else?
Also incredible episode of course, can never get enough
Other question: did Brennan say that the stars CAN see Suvi and her glass menagerie in the library? Since the roof literally opens up?
I'd assume that only counts when it's at night, and because Suvi is name cloaked in theory Indri wouldn't be able to look her up in the catalog using the name Sky
i loved this episode but i'm commenting with a bit of feedback accessibility wise—i have misophonia, specifically for buzzing noises (the sound of flies especially) and in general i've found that the sound design/background noise is a little too loud in comparison with the cast's volume, making it really hard for me to concentrate on what they're saying, or in the case of the buzzing, entirely unable to listen to those portions. if possible, reducing the volume of some of the background sounds by a few db might really help those of us with audio-related disabilities. thank you so much, love the podcast 💕
Have you tried an EQ on your device, so everyone doesn't have to have suboptimal sound design?
I need to know what the looks on Erika and Lou's faces were when the wizard starts wizarding
the wizard wizarded all over the place and wizarded everywhere
The verbal gymnastics between Indri and Ame 🤸🏼♀️
Something about the dramatic gasp about taking the mug compared to a cold delivery of "we may destroy your station"... Grinds my gears
All I can say is, I can’t wait for the Horner corner breakdown of this episode.
I have a question for Brennan: HOW DARE YOU?
The wizard, the witch, the wild one, and the audacity of these bitches
Well put
Oof. Heinrul is at it again.
No! Heinrul! Brennan we were all worming up to him!
Justice for wolf daddy 😭😭😭
Hmmmm when did anyone dance though?
Okay people, don't go losing your head. Sooo much to unpack from this episode. Wow, wow, wow.
I just listened and I'm immediately going for a rewatch (relisten?) because my brain
I’m so intrigued about indri’s hidden rage. My feeling is she must still have deep resentment for her apprenticeship; all these years after killing her mentor. I guess the question is what the fuck happened back then? Or was it just her own pride being so damaged by the indignation of doing menial work?
I was wondering if it’s that or if it’s the idea that Ame is questioning her as a mentor - because I guess technically she was asking if the chores were part of the station of apprentice or if she’d just set them for Níf. Or maybe both??
Oh my God! That ending!!
Hello! Love the podcast, but can it be consistently longer than an hour?😅
I don't think If ever get to bed if it was longer.
Hey??? You cant just end it like this?? Holy shit
I love wizards
Ok but do people feel like this is outside meddling coming from The Stranger who has managed to get part of Hacaea’s retinue on side? Or do we think it’s meddling between the witches themselves, and that either Hacaea is working with Mirara, or that Mirara is meddling in Hacaea’s business? If it’s the former does Hacaea not care about the consequences that could come with killing Grimore’s mate Hynrul? I feel like this episode has a lot of interesting information that the crew could use to cause more in fighting between the coven. I’m also personally leaning towards the idea that The Man in Black is operating of his own will separate to Mirara, and that perhaps Mirara either doesn’t care (or possibly know?) about his intentions, because they line up enough with her own. So much to think about!! Come to the crazy conspiracy board with me!!!
And there was just so much other lore in this ep I can’t even hold it all in my brain! What an awesome episode!!
But but, I absolutely loved Heinrul! He can't be killed already. I don't want to believe it. Though I may just be a major Grimore and Hacaea fan no matter what.
No but same.
Also, that ending?!?!?! I mean, I thought they were trying to convince them both? Though maybe chopping off his head does not kill him? Then again, they did try to get Eursulon alone but they couldn't so the next best things.... Makes me wonder if they won't just be holding him there and sending a shifter in his place
How much you wanna bet Suvis parents found out something the Antivili?
Well, my memory is that of a very intelligent goldfish, but that lines up with her mother’s writings where she declares one of the three central magical axions “unstable/incorrect” an affront to magic in general right?
Tit for tat? 😅
This presents an opportunity though; if Hakaya finds out Marara and her peeps are messing with those closest to her, I could see A coven split between Indri + marara/ Hakaya + Grimore with Ame where she always is, mediating the conflict!
I mean... Not wrong
I'd like to see I saw that coming. But, no. Just... holy shit.
My god I’m so in love with this story and these characters
OK, Brennan? I've never heard someone tell a story I love so much... and hate the complete and utter control they have over the tension that I, a full-grown human with SOME decorum, screamed in my living room
I audibly shouted AW FUCK at that moment lmao
Friends are for hugging! 🫂
OMG so dark 🤣
Oughh this podcast makes me unwell. Enjoy everyone <3
Goddamnit TAYLOR!! Jesus Christ
Those glass sounds were gorgeous.
All I can hear is my head now is “Serve Somebody” by Antwaun Stanley and Vulfpeck! And now all I can picture is Ren boppin around the WORLD mumbling that song to herself while she was meddle-helping in everyone’s business 😂
Now I have this song stuck in my head, I ain't mad
Eeeeep can't sleep now!
I WAS gonna sleep but I have no impulse control SOOOO
I was supposed to be in bed and hour ago but was very slow at brushing my teeth so I could listen to it all So worth it!
Oh I am so gosh darn keen
Am I first???
No I am