[PUBLIC EPISODE] The Wizard, the Witch and the Wild One: ep041 "Peace and Quiet"
The spirit touches all things, but boots find sure footing on moss and stone. At long last, the long arm of empire legs it. The machine is repurposed. Love your mommy and listen to the mirror for once. The least you can do is ask. Finally, after such a long time in the wilderness, peace, and like a knife in the stomach, quiet. All hail the returning heroes. We're going home.
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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 (172)
I’m finally catching up on these episodes and I NOW HAVE A PERSONAL SCORE TO SETTLE WITH THE ARCHMAGE SILENCE. I almost started sobbing at the end. It might be because I love frogs so damn much but still
Sworn saying, “I need to go to bed but I can’t lay down,” is very relatable.
Did anyone else hear Taylor cackling from the back room when Brennan started counting the seconds Zero had been in Bracken?
I'm reposting from reddit because I'm curious about the perspectives of folks here: in this episode, we meet a member of Prince Khemari Olfgang Saraz's retinue, Lady Irimin Telniket. I can't find where, but I recall another fan pointing out that the suffix of her name matches Suvirin Kedberiket. That seems intentional to me. In episode 16, Steel mentions the Crystal Lake of Ket, a location near the capital of Gaothmai whose wards were impacted by the changing of the celestial paths of Umora when Suvi was a child. I'm led to wonder if Kedberiket and Telniket could be toponymic surnames akin to a nisba indicating familial place of origin. If that were the case, then it suggests to me that Soft's ancestry could have roots in Gaothmai. I draw no concrete conclusions from this possibility, but I'm sharing it here mainly to bear that potential connection in mind as the story progresses. (I'm especially paying attention to what connections might be made with our mystery Gaoth shapeshifter Eioghorain looming on the horizon.)
Thank you so much for the episode. Each one is a gift!
Gird yer loins, kids. That arc art is a’comin!
also i love that steel is always playin tag with Suvi
Yes. Steel should know better by now than to tell Suvi, "Sit tight, I'm on my way."
saw that the word quiet was in the title, immediately felt like a "before the storm" was coming
Great episode!! Reminder for those only on Patreon that there is a fan run Discord server (named “Worlds Beyond Number”) where we get into deeper discussions about the shows
A tamori on the spectrum? War-time propaganda improvised on the fly? Politicians balancing formality and sincerity? Soldiers finding spirituality? Steel not realising she's slowing everyone down again? A spider in a spell book? LOVING IT ALL! >.< A.G.
I think ocs is the first tamori we see cast a spell other then the spell they are he cast detect magic on eursulon and ame now I’m even more fascinated with tamori now
The prince’s theme has real Steven universe vibes.
5 seconds into this and erika goes 'you're doing so good' twice in that gentle voice and I'm ded (putting myself in horny jail to repent but truly, thank you I needed that)
The music for when the party rolled up to Brackin was so absolutely gorgeous, I could have lived in that piece forever, Taylor and Jared are madlads for that one, making me straight up emotional
Imma need that Capt Castwain artwork
Can someone pls remind me who The Glass Coronet are??
Imperial mages, not Citadel (like Morrow's bunch in Port Talon) in Carrow. Where Ghost turned up, and we don't know what happened afterward.
Need to shout this out because all the comments mention Taylor... thank you Jared for all the work you contribute!
They went to Jared…
Hey y’all I need words with whoever comes up with the titles because they can’t keep getting away with it
Pretty sure that's Taylor, and he relishes our rage. Just a suspicion.
Wowwwwwww. Hey can anyone remind me what the pocket watch does? I’m really bad at remembering items from one ep to another
It points in the direction of any bound spirits nearby
Bro crafted the perfect spirit rival for Arch Mage Silence. Clutchy Dutchy. Poor Suvi is going to need to come to terms with what the Citadel represents. Like red flags in a long standing relationship. The inner tension for the characters here seems extremely well crafted. He took away any denial that Citadel = Bad for Spirits. This Forces Players to Make Decisions. Whoa. This is the type of tension I want to create at a table. Taking things away for player characters to understand what is at their core… *smokes pipe and looks into fire* hmmm…
That last episode was all decisions! (#42) Wow. And we got the best of each of the characters. Hero’s Call to action was created from (timing: celebration and rest) + (loss: of something important and/or dear) Loss could even be the loss of certainty, which might hurt more and force players to act than the clear perspective of loss. Interesting. But Eursalon was going back for the kids anyway? Hmmm… that’s just tremendous awareness of who their character is… Great Job Team, everyone really worked and defined their character! …this is totally how players can really shape the story. Knowing their character!
Can't tell if the sound effect dedicated to the enchanted amulet around Prince Kumari Saraz (spelling my B) neck implies something or is just taylor having an excuse for the sound effect :D
Sounded like the fireball to me
I'm glad our heroes didn't get re-re-re-traumatised in Halliker (sp?) Forest, but I'm a bit disappointed we didn't get to spend time in there, hope they get to go back under better circumstances.
Big same. The fully expected more time there. I suppose that hinged largely on that successful check to navigate it. On the flip side, it was exceedingly validating and restorative for Eursalon, and made a strong impression on the soldiers. Brennan sure left the door open on future fallout from that impression.
The tower of the glove is the right hand of the business of the archmage’s sanctum. As a vessel for the hand, which enacts the will. Suvi must soon reckon with the role she is playing in the violence and erasure that are the Citadel’s chiefest weapons. It is beyond mere obliteration, it is a warping or erasure of meaning and form, and a material replacement. I wonder what could happen if one witch expended an eight level spell slot and caused an earthquake in Haverward. I’m just so darn curious
I'm already gonna listen, plz, these cliffhangers. 😭😭😭😭😭 But fr, Taylor, how does the cast influence how you end the episodes sound design? Is there anything in particular that inspires you?
Oooh, did you pop this into their questions/ openform thing in their description? I hope this gets answered
Okay but Ocs is giving big "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" by Small Fools energy. Magical, otherworldly, complicated AI that was given a directive as it was brought to existence.
MAGIC AI. "NEXUS" by Harari. LETS GO.
Also, the piano in the background of the Prince's scene... is chilling, Taylor
Real quick, Ame mentions giant pine cones and all I can think of are bunya pine seed cones which are endemic to my country. When they fall, they can dent metal and knock you out (sometimes fatal) they're spiky af. I can just imagine Ame not caring and simply grabbing a really low hanging one 😅
HOLY SHIT! I imagined, like, a ponderosa or maybe a sugar pine cone. Not a legitimate weapon. TIL that even Australia’s pine trees are scary.🫣
Why the frog 😭😭😭
Why strike for the throat rather than the shoulder? Hurts more.
Literally downloaded the patreon app on my ipad so i could type out exactly how seen this episode made me feel. I remember being so alone in 9th grade in catholic school in Lexington, KY when we invaded iraq. I felt like the only person in the world watching folks joke and celebrate as we pummeled a bunch of innocent people into the stone age. My whole school booed me and i had to hide in an empty classroom when i asked a speaker a pointed question about George Bush. Literally all my friends dove to get away from me. That last 5 minutes when you feel the air get sucked out of the room as the soldier celebrates what is obviously like…a world significant catastrophe with a great spirit getting murdered as seen from Eursulon and Ame’s perspective…its such a peculiar experience to someone who’s been on the left in this country for a long time. To be completely alone while everyone celebrates what to you is clearly an evil, world darkening event…I just wanted to shout out Brennan and the whole cast for that piece of story telling. I tell everyone i can about this because i think it’s the best story being told in all media right now, and it’s because of moments like this. I’m so invested to see how Ame and Eursulon are going to react to this with the ask that Suvi has to make and the revelation that the Empire is AT THE VERY LEAST ethnically cleansing the Gruineau…this is such an important story to tell and i’m so grateful that i’ve gotten to be a part of it almost from the beginning. Thank you all so so much!
I've been harbouring this prediction for a while and I'm going to make it here for posterity, since this episode all but confirmed it for me: Steel wants to find Joren because he knows that Steel is actually the one who killed Suvi's parents.
Oh my goodness, please not that. Would be an amazing twist, but please not that😳
Not sure if anyone else has said it but I’m calling it here that the Empire’s overarching goal is to eventually get rid of all non-wizard magic users. Magic is a huge resource that is tightly under the empire’s control through the citadel and it existing as a form of power elsewhere would be considered a threat- hence the capture of the Granoe (sp??) the war with a country led by sorcerers, the capture of a great spirit, gramma wren always downplaying her amount of power until otherwise necessary, etc. I think it’s also why the forces of spirit/magic are amassing against the citadel- during the conclave they framed it as wizard hubris messing up the natural order of magic to take for themselves but what if the citadel knows they’re doing that? Wizards always have a plan
It occurs to me that Ghost can de-magic people and objects, that Ghost went missing in Carrow, that there's a Glass Coronet agent present in the biergarten, and that magical children are being kidnapped. Is it crazy to think the imperium might be using our sweet girl to disenchant/homogenize the greneaux children?
Xero sure is a counter-spell.
It can't be a coincidence that that woman's last name "who helped Suvi to the mirror" has the same suffix as Suvi's, right?
Just listened a third time and I may have overlooked it but I believe it hasn't been mentioned in the comments. If it has, my apologies. The lack of outro music gave me goosebumps every time. I am always kind of sad when an episode ends, but there was comfort, safety even, in that music. Even with a cliffhanger, the sound could shake me out of dread or awe slightly and prepare me for the real world, but this...it just keeps lingering. I'll be unsettled for two weeks, knowing Taylor robbed us of that safety😂
Excuse me? The official like makes it worse! I don’t trust this seal of approval shaped as a digital heart at all. 😂
While listening: My Intrigue and Drama brain wheels are spinning. Archmage + Prince would be an *excellent* match on both sides. All we need is Sky + Prince for a perfect love triangle
Also: BIERGART-EN (I don’t drink, but I wanted to yell it back at Aabria. ❤️)
We do also have “beer gardens” here in the UK so it didn’t sound odd to me. It’s just an outside area of a pub.
When we were in the forest with Eursulon, the music was just SOO Eursalon-y. So pure! It was absolutely gorgeous sound design throughout, but the forest was my favorite. I wish I could go stand in the woods and blend into a tree to only be seen by young people. OH NO, TAYLOR, YOU MADE ME YEARN. PS: Brennan I am satisfied that my inklings and sense of foreboding were correct however I am still mad at you. And I love you. It’s all very complex.
I propose that “OH NO, TAYLOR, YOU MADE ME YEARN,” become an official phrase of the fandom.
Always after listening, I re-read the title and a little shiver goes down my spine. Sweep-jeebus.
Huge shoutout to Taylor for ending the episode with “Quiet” in the title in Silence.
Gods such a powerful episode, hilarious as well. Excited for what comes next!
Taylor I loved the music for the prince, I didn't know my goosebumps could get goosebumps
homie why you gotta do that WHAT WAS THE REASON BRENNAN
Hats off to Brennan, cause no matter how many Calamities or Crown of Candies I watch, he always finds a new way to bring the pain.
He seems so fun and likable, but he’s got a worrisome talent for rending my heart.
So Suvi won't be coming for money or a crown. She's coming to burn Silence's tower down. *chanting from Odysseus by Jorge Herrans plays in the background*
The further we go along and the more steel talks business the more it seems like she knows about and has supported the capture of great spirits especially with the war with the witches coming up on them. It makes me wonder what suvi could have done differently early on to get this info
Okay I NEED "the wizard of Oz" fanart on my desk by Monday
I’ve known better than to underestimate a sleepy old man like Silence, and I’m absolutely devastated that my suspicions were warranted. How very dare you.
“Be Quiet” was a dead giveaway for me
Whoa, Sworn lulled me in and then I’m utterly gutted. Going to need to sit with this one for a while. Bravo, WBN team, bravo!
I was so worried that Sworn was going to give away Bear while he was drunk...in an Imperial garrison, especially without Steel being there, is not the time to for folks to find out
So Sworn drinks? He’s not an addict, just a student who missed some exams while out partying? I got worried for a second when he asked Eursulon to drink and was then surprised at the scene that followed. It honestly is quite sad to think about though. The response to an alcohol problem being “loyalty to the citadel cause I don’t trust my own judgment” instead of trying to get sober. Ame, please deprogram this poor man!
We all know JK Simmons is playing the Wizard Swole, right?
"WHEN DID YOU BECOME A F*CKING EXPERT ON WHAT I CAN OR CANNOT DO, YOU F*CKING WEEPY WILLOW SH!TSACK!?"
and what if i lost my mind?? what then?
EAAAAAUUUUU
I can't believe the Archmage Silence is all about censorship. I wish Brennan used more subtext /s
Absolutely beautiful music and sound design this one.
not enough people talking about the captain who might be the hottest character I've ever heard described, need more info give me more info I'm smitten
Big saaaaaaaaaame. 💖
I feel that Suvi blushing at the Prince and him making it no big deal because he’s used to that reaction makes it ok that I’ll stammer and blush if I ever meet any of them.
I've listened 4 times already
I'm glad they got through Haligur safely but I really wanted to know what unsafe looked like. Also, "Merlin that went to prison" is the best description ever.
Hey so just like, you know, what the fuck??
Does Izzy help Brennan coming up with NPC disruptions? Or does homeboy got it like that.
I fully believe Brennan is Just Like That until I see some evidence to the contrary.
Oh no the citadel silenced another “threat” before the could parlay with it…I wonder how many times this happened in the many years of this war?
He just wanted to tell them about Budweiser
I’m so *emotion* right now. Like wtf you mean Silence silenced the great bullfrog. Did Steel know that was going to happen? It makes me question her credibility in arc 1 about Naram so much. Especially with the vagueness of yorren getting in the way of “what we are trying to do out there”. And will this count for Eursulons timepiece? Quest fever??? Lfg! (PS can someone send me a link to a fan run discord? I am buzzing every week and need to chat)
I’m telling youuuuuuuuu Steel has given me villain energy since Port Talon, bay-beeee! Girl has some skeletons.
Holy shit. The composition of this is amazing Taylor!
Is it a crime to end every episode on a cliffhanger so intense it violates several health codes?
Is this covered by the Geneva Convention?
*screams into the silence*
Careful. He’s old.
A good composer knows when to back the music out and let the audience sit in the ominous silence. And Taylor is a damned good composer.
How dare you leave me in SILENCE like that. My heart’s just a little guy.
Brennan, you’re suspended from storytelling. Creative privileges revoked until you learn how to handle hearts responsibly. Hope it was worth it buck-a-roo, think long n hard about what you’ve done 😤
holy. shit. brennan! whaaaat! noooooo!
100% read that in Aabria’s voice.
Taylor you menace!! Really nice touch at the end with the roar from the crowd mimicking the description of the Bullfrogs breath fading to nothing.
Oh you know it's bad when Dvorak doesn't play at the end of the episode and it's just Taylor talking
Brennan what did you do to the Great Bullfrog... Brennan... Brennan...we just wanna talk, ok. we just wanna talk...
I cannot believe Brennan would take one of the most pure-of-heart, cozy, lovely D&D stories I've ever heard in Twelve Brooks, and just turn that directly into the source of all despair and fear. I thought maybe someone would eat the fabled Twelve Brooks cheese as a callback, oh what simpler times
Thank you for providing a distraction for me today. Last week's executive orders have my career on the chopping block. Sending love.
Right back at you.
Aabria's "Wizard of Oz the prison" killed me. Right up there with Zac's "Shit the Clown" from MSN.
The SILENCE at the end of that episode destroyed me. Things are getting even worse than before 😭
OH NO
Taylor, what is that music during Suvi and Steel's convo, it was so good and suspenseful
I thought I was hearing things, I skipped back to hear those single player violin(?) sounds, or maybe one of them was like a creepy door opening
i was going to do an immediate re-listen until the last 30 seconds absolutely decimated me (i almost said “knocked the wind out of me” and hurt my own feelings)
BRENNAN
I can't forget the talk back for the "Sending" episode where he chastises himself with "... you nasty, nasty man," and now it's what I scream in the car sometimes when he is in fact said nasty man. 😂
With that "like a knife in the stomach, quiet" description, I was waiting for the shoe to drop the entire episode. I was not expecting said shoe to be less "US size 10" and more "Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe." Feeling a bit like the Witch of the East post-Dorothy. 💀 Excellently done, team, as always ❤️
I have never been so stunned by the end of an episode
...is Rhuv recruiting? Asking for a friend
Whilst fair (I am a Warlock main for daaayyys,) you don't have to be a Shifter to be Gaoth ;)
This arc does such a good job of capturing that "Band of Brothers" romantic-version-of-WWII vibe. Just guys marching across the countryside in hard times.
One more thing where is the spider Suvi’s little friend? Is it in her spell book? Has it been there all along or did rasper do something to it?
Did Suvi open the box back up for them to get information, or did she end up keeping it secret? I have to go back and re-listen to that witch con episode to remember... I figured that was the trip that got tripped.
First off I just wanna say I totally want a plum jam fritter. I am a fan of jam and you can’t go wrong with a fritter so the two put together sound amazing.. at the end there did I get it right that the mighty bullfrog helped the citadel?? is this because of Ursulon? What a wonderful episode specially on a Wednesday in the middle of the week this show never ceases to amaze me. I just love it so much.
Obviously, I should have read more of the messages before putting my statement down about the bullfrog. What the hell!!
*this* is Suvi's best day, yeah? She's a war hero now, with Steel and the prince both praising her and her boyfriend is safe? Which means that Suvis worst day isn't that far off...
Yea...I haven't been able to forget that either
He shalt ribbit no more : (
RIPbit So sorry. It had to be done.
What have you done?
Holy shit!!!! Why does every episode end with me feeling like my heart just dropped to the floor??? If that meant what I think it meant, that is truly horrific and I want to burn that Citiadel to the ground!
😱
Brennan and Lou playing chicken over the time-keeping cantrip tymori is unbelievably funny. Brennan losing and having to pivot to Ame is even funnier.
Brennan bringing it back minutes later is somehow funniest. I love these people.
Silencing the great bullfrog?...on MY cellular device?!?!?!?
In front of MY plum jam fritter?
Somewhere in the world there is a village or city with a New York accent and that sparks joy.
*smacks hood of carriage" Eyy, I'm upholdin' my animistic pastoral folk traditions here!!!
You guys really got me with the Steel being angry fake out
Hi yes hello, 1. This was amazing and 2. Brennan what the FUCK
FUCK
Well put
Thank you for another wonderful episode. Definitely worth the wait.
"Do you have your herbs... and... spices?" "Yes, all eleven of them"
Simply begging yall to release this music, I need to rock this every single day
"The Wizard of Oz" /dead This is why she is our queen.
She fuggin did that 😄
Having reached the end of the episode, I am angry (in a fun way) with the title.
Also, great Lunar New Year present!
OMG…yes❤️
"We got 'em" I immediately knew who, and Brennan can gfhs (respectfully & lovingly, of course
To clarify, he can go fuck himself respectfully and lovingly? Or rather you told him to do so respectfully and lovingly? 😄
When Lou let Brennan count the seconds, what a beat. Y'all are a *gift.* 🩷🩷🩷
Every episode I fall more and more in love with this podcast! Stunning work everyone
Did not expect a mismag "reference" ;)
Hey, they've been throwing W3 references around D20 for a while.
I've never felt so much chills run down my spine than when the royal score soared
taylor assembled a damn orchestra!!! amazing ep
addendum: haha, uh oh
Taylor really popped off with the sound and music this time, it gave me chills when the prince was announced and he's definitely done the research, as a cellist and classical musician I appreciate it SO much 🙏❤️💖
Captian Castway is so hot! Erika is so so right! I love women....
Hell's yeah!!!
The teaser was accurate
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK WHEN?!?
Thank You to each and every person who helps craft our transport to this world! 💯😎🐻🦊🍄🍁🍄🍪🍝🍝🤔👹🌟🌈🌠
Hundo chill bear fox mushroom maple mushroom cookie? Pasta pasta! Hmmm? Rah! Gold star rainbow. Shooting star!
Yay! 🌻🤙🍨🖖
There are moments in the scoring here - a swell of strings that soars and opens up the landscape like a sunrise, while whispering something dangerous and unseen - that remind me of the late Barrington Pheloung’s gorgeous music for the first Broken Sword game and I really can’t think of a higher compliment.
Beautiful words❤️
So ready!
Let's gooooo (on my lunchtime walk, perfect timing for the episode release)
That could have been a long lunchtime walk.
There has never been an episode title in all of media that i’ve trusted less… i can’t wait.
Much love yall! Thank you so much for all the energy yall brought to the garden. Made the experience of a lifetime to me and knowing all the friends and family of this space were up there supporting you warmed my souled. Love yall! And thank you Taylor and everyone else who help make this wonderful podcast !
Literally finished Ep 8 of Outlaws and Obelisks when this posted
Aww I just started that
Let's get this doozy started!