Fireside Chat for Flight of the Icaron: Episode 1 - Maiden Voyage
Erika hosts a fireside chat of Flight of the Icaron’s very first launch — what made it in, what didn’t, and the 1:20 of extra story Lou wishes he’d had for Episode 1: Maiden Voyage.
Please let us know... Do you like your sci bone-dry and white, or wet and neon?
Plus, a little camp magic. Before the mics ever rolled this summer, the Avatar of the People had everyone pull a tarot card to set the voyage. Brennan pulls for Andrei. The card? Two of Stones, from The Wildwood Tarot. A fitting omen for a maiden voyage into the skies.
TWO OF STONES – CHALLENGE
MEANING: Female hares box for domination and territorial rights to breed. After drawing on your grounded energy to reach self-empowerment, a position may be challenged or a struggle for control initiated by others. Learning to deal with rivalry or adversity in a dispassionate manner is a practical skill that can be used to advantage.
DESCRIPTION: Two low, worn stones stand side by side at the edge of the trees. On each one stands a hare. They are boxing furiously. Ripples of energy flow out from them as if their power and force were manifesting.
READING POINTS: Many challenges or rivalries are born of insecurity and subconscious issues with peers and colleagues. Usually, it is these emotions rather than actual malice or personal ill-will that dictates a rival’s mistrust or understanding of your efforts. In the modern material world, where so much emphasis is placed on a show of power or wealth, it is often a perceived position or status that enflames jealousy, rather than the reality of a situation.
Holding your own ground and defending your position at such times can be achieved by keeping in touch with pure and positive motivations and holding on to a personal integrity and sincerity, which is the basis for any fair and enduring material reward or advancement. Some competition and honest differences of opinion can be productive and even beneficial. Remain clear and focused on your objectives and stay firm in your ethical efforts to proceed with a plan or project.
The Wildwood Tarot by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, art by Will Worthington
Comments (201)
Honestly, the multi-cultural vibe was so perfectly up my alley thanks to the Expanse. It was awesome.
Also, I really dig the tarot pull!!! I have done tarot pulls for a character of mine to check the influences of the narrative on her and her impact on the world. It was really fun to journal about. :)
Looking back at this after the full adventure is out, this Tarot pull really was apt for Andrei. There was a struggle for control initiated by others and he had to hold his own ground and defend it, with his personal integrity and sincerity being key to finding the solution that wasn't just sacrificing everyone on-board.
Great DMing from Lou, gives me a big For All Humanity vibe. Love it
Now I'm listening to this chat with halo soundtrack playing in the background and its sooooooo perfect. I like Sci-fi a little more grounded. I think with enough neon and flashing lights it treads very close to star wars level fantasy
I remember hearing lots of buildup for this show getting excited for an Aabria sci-fi campaign. I have never been more excited by a bait-and-switch. Lou has been crushing it.
Dry goopy, goopy dry, crackle crackle and goodbye
I love embedded context/environmental storytelling combined with plot revelation (like we don't know what the lighthouse in the middle of the ocean is or why there are old banners and automatically-cued music about until we enter, are locked in, and see a bathysphere in Bioshock)
Hold the entire fuck up, the divergence point from real life is the Cuban Missile Crisis? That's sick. I want a reference book like the Umora glossary now, because this is what my brain craves
I have been *waiting* for Lou to run a campaign. To rip off the bandaid and join the DM club. Brava. I still need to listen to the other episodes, but the first episode is brilliant!
When I was first listening to the Mombasa spaceport scene with Kiki and her handler, I was extremely enamored with it as it reminded me of the setting of New Mombasa in the Halo franchise, one of my all time favorites. And then I heard Lou mention the song name On a Pale Horse—my heart skipped a beat. “Like from Halo? One of the most iconic songs from the original??”, I thought to myself.—And the man, the myth, the legend himself delivered. The OST of Halo: CE is the basis of another one of my favorite pieces of media. I love WBN so much, please never stop telling stories. We need them now more than ever.
I almost teared up at DM diaries, please keep the segment!!!!!!!!!!
A Goop Goop Crackle Crackle just makes me smile lol
TAUPE 2 AND TOODLE LOO
Idk if someone said it already but I feel like an “awawa” à la hyrax could go hard as a sign on with the crackle crackle
DM Diaries might be my new favorite segment
There is a long and storied history of Engineers in action movies haha. Gordon Freeman and Issac Clarke come immediately to mind.
100% Wet neon future for me, but loving Flight of the Icaron's dry bone white as well.
I feel like the most obvious options are A Lou Lou or A Goo Goo now 😂
Pew pew right there tho
It would be really cool to get Lou's alternative timeline as a piece of bonus content at the end of the campaign. I'm very curious, especially due to the timeline diverging at the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Has anyone pitched a coup coup yet?
Absolutely wild to hear my last name as a campaign idea.
Drip drop crackle crackle obv
Dry Goopy is the new Wet Fire
Creak creak crackle crackle
A Pew pew crackle crackle
Not complaining at all about more episodes, but when this announced wasn't it supposed to be a one/two-shot? Lou really is getting the DM experience
A short season. I think they said five episodes with two more Firesides: after ep 3 and after ep 5.
Wet and Neon for sure
It’s giving Red Rising and a little Nathan Lowell ⛵️ 🪐
Lou and Erika would looooove the lore behind cyberpunk 2077
“A-pew-pew” like laser guns
I do feel like a case is made for "Goopy, Dry, Crackle, Crackle" to end episodes of not start them as well.
Lou Lou, Crackle Crackle
Lou, Love all the thoughts in the fireside about your prep and and how you work together — and the sweetest part for me is how all of you care for each other other and how sincere and heartfelt your support and of Lou is. This sort of very sincere and deep kindness is very cheerfulling this week!!
In honor of fixing the future, ahoohoo, spackle spackle
official a-who who submission: Nyoom nyoom, *radio static crackling noises with the same rhythm*
brennan should know that when he said "caramel made of chalk" i audibly went "eugh" aloud and alone in my apartment
"If you are on 👏🏾 the 👏🏾 clock👏🏾, then you should be on 👏🏾a 👏🏾 c**k 👏🏾" -Little Finger probably after that scene probably
My instant thought was "A-cube cube" 🤣 #CheeseBasedFuture
I originally said “taupe two-two, crackle crackle” BUT ACTUALLY “Taupe two, too, crackle crackle” is what it should be 🗂️🏷️📔👢👡🔥🔥
In honor of the Star Wars system, "a pew pew". 😎
I don't know how many might be familiar with the audiobook version of Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, specifically the version narrated by Lloyd James... But Brennan's Andrei is very much giving James' version of Manny. And I don't mean that as a slight! I find it oddly comforting and am totally invested.
I love how Kiki is a part of a space diaspora community and how being a generation or two removed from Earth creates an experience analogous to African Americans returning to Africa. Like “oh these are my people this is where I came from but my history and culture and understanding of myself in the world is different, even if I can see the pieces of similarity.” This shit makes me feral yall 😭
You explained that so perfectly. The context of a life lived in different dire circumstances gives us collectively different awareness of our senses and stretches our relationships to our own individual limits. The access to new strange abilities due to having to adapt and survive in hostile surroundings? Wooo, thats clicks waaay too easily into real life examples - and I love it!!!
DryWhiteIPod does sound like a bad (or possibly awesome) Dj
"Ah-taupe-two, crackle-crackle"
Terry Pratchett does this kind explanation stuff really well where he puts it in funny little dialogue. And you don’t even realize he’s giving you exposition or world building but it’s just funny or at least interesting stuff.
"Dry goopy, goopy-dry, crackle crackle"
Hear me out... a pew pew, crackle crackle (but like futuristic laser pews)
Wet Neon. Hell yes thank you for my new band name
Kiki the space libertarian, meet Marz the space commune capitalist (of I Was A Teenage Exocolonist. Great game by the way)
I would spend an absurd amount of money on an alt-history book about this world
A PEW PEW CRACKLE CRACKLE 🔫
THIS IS SO GOOD
In honor of Fishcakes I propose "pee-yew"
goo goo crackle crackle?
A pew pew!
A Lou Lou!
Like Lou I am also a creature of habit so my brain naturally wants “Pew, pew, crackle crackle” but wishing us a “goopy, dry, crackle crackle” is also terrible and delightful. “Wawa crackle crackle” also pings the silly fun syllables to say vibe of a-hoohoo. I’m loving FotI so far 🤩 Lou’s world building descriptions were so sumptuous I weep for the loss of his description of the sun. Also I NEED this alternate history timeline when this is over!!!
I immediately went to "pew, pew crackle, crackle," too..
I'm an NPC in Jake's campaign in naddpod and Lou's campaign, both times I'm a child 😂
Who are you in skaldova?
Lou campaign's been a long-time coming but man it was worth the wait ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
*Ahem* 'Ah-Cheese-Cube' or 'Ah-Cube-Cube'
I vote for this one haha
A-whoosh-whoosh, crackle crackle!
I love hearing the background of where Lou's ideas are coming from, esp the alt history! I think he's absolutely nailing it: you totally get the sense and outline of this utopian, Global South-driven, communal society -- just from the handful of moments we spend on the New Dawn Plaza and the types of people we meet from Earth. :) Loving it so far.
Beep boop, crackle crackle! I just finished Iain M. Banks SF novel Matter and really noticed how he balances show and tell. Like one bit will be "they got on their lyges and took off" and it's obvious that a lyge is a large flying creature and what does it look like? Don't worry about it! And then in other parts someone will describe billion years of galactic politics and you'll barely notice it's exposition.
Absolutely LOVE the GM diary. 😁💕
twinkle twinkle, crackle crackle 🙂↕️
get it? cuz the stars 😌
I feel like the mars colony is giving wet neon future, while earth became dry iPad future and thus revolt happened.
Official submission: pew pew, crackle crackle
A pew pew crackle crackle (must be said with finger guns)
a vwoom vwoom (lightsaber noise) crackle crackle
THE JUICE! THE LOU JUICE!
This was such a cool look into the worldbuilding. It is interesting to think about how even utopian(ish) societies would need to stay vigilant against moneyed interests, and I kind of love this kick y'all are on about how peace requires routine maintenance. Finally, thank you for treating the fact that someone is always going to want to force humanity back to feudalism and the divine right of kings like the mundane observation that it is. Even in these little paywalled pocket dimensions, it takes a lot of bravery to say true things right now.
I believe in that game of thrones Little Finger scene he was making sure they could fake it properly when they were with a client.
A-goo-goo
“A pew pew, dazzle dazzle” is my submission
A couple people already said "a-pew-pew" for the crackle crackle, which is genius, dammit. Personally my submission is "zip zap" crackle crackle, because technology sci-fi stuff lol
Taupe Two crackle crackle
Though I will say, I still think it's funnier if it's Taupe Too
I really appreciate hearing Lou's process of developing this from initial inspiration to its final form. And DM diaries? Hell yeah!
Can we get a Wire reference on every Fireside?
Would ooblek count as dry and goopy?
Lou having a gorgeous session planned and then players spend way too much time getting into shenanigans so you throw out everything is the true new DM initiation
A-pew-pew Crackle Crackle
This is the way
A-Lou-Lou Crackle Crackle
The mention of On A Pale Horse from Halo threw me all the way back to playing it with my friends in high school. I still get goosebumps just hearing it play in my head.
I'd honestly be down for a sci-fi that has a mix of the too. Give me some moments of sterile and wet and goopy!!
A Taupe Two Crackle Crackle!
In fairness to the Intrepid Heroes, you haven't really been bogarting catchphrases because Siobhan will NOT let go of "See you in the stars!" and I love her for that.
Drygoopydry crackle crackle
“A Pew Pew” cause Sci-fi has all the laser guns that go “pew pew”!
What about dry with neon lighting? Like a postcyberpunk story? But definitely excited for more cool times in space!
Bone dry and white - sterile backdrop for violence. Wet and neon - drippy backdrop of introspection. I guess I chose wet & Leon neon
The Honey Badger style of accepting compliments…nice touch
@ me in the atmosphere.
A goo goo, crackle crackle
Dry, goopy. Goopy, dry. Crackle crackle
Cheese Cheese, Crackle Crackle?
“A goop goop crackle crackle” has my vote
Looooove the tarot pull!!
A hoo hoo goopy goopy
It should be "a-pew pee" right?
Goodbye ahoo-hoo, hello agoop-goop
The word is historiciousness
Oh DM Diary fuck yeah yes please that is GOLD
Brennan: “The thing I would do as a bartender, which is like the owner walks in and I just start washing a glass to look busy.” Aabria: “You don't know how girls hang out. We’re like, I guess I just reach over.” AND THIS IS WHY AABRIA DOESN’T UNDERSTAND LoTR REFERENCES!! 😂
I had to pause this too much because I was cracking up!! ➡️Erika: “Like in the eighties, like the eighties and nineties, like it was just full of little feral children running around in an action film and you're like, God damn, these little dirty children are, are, are like crazy rogue types, you know?” Aabria: “It was, it was pre iPad. A child could just get ✨nimbly bimbly✨ anywhere and you would just be like, yeah, there's a kid here.” ➡️Aabria: “you can girl boss, you cannot gaslight” 💅 ➡️Brennan: “Pope in the pool. “ I knew we were gonna get some solid media analysis, but the phrase “pope in the pool” took me OUT 😂 And Lou’s threats instead of taking the compliments over his incredible work!! 😂😂
d’goop goop crackle crackle (where, of course, d’goop is a contraction of dry goop)
I think the GOT scene Brennan mentioned was explicitly a “teaching the new hire” situation?
Pew, pew, crackle, crackle!
Zap zap, crackle crackle? It feels appropriate for space station fires to me at least
My headcanon is that the technique once known as the "baseball slide" became an integral part of what would become "Slideball" Just saying
As long as there’s multiball
Please dont replace Ahoohoo.. i know it started in WWW but it feels so key to WBN as a whole
I was gonna say a crew crew, but then I saw taupe2 2 and I have to second it
goopy goopy crackle crackle
"A-beep boop, crackle crackle!"
“Taupe two-two, crackle crackle” 📔👢👡🔥🔥
That's it, that's the correct answer. No notes.
When’s the next one?
Aabria: “But like, even going back to like the Pirates of the Caribbean of it all, like, I can't believe I'm quoting that, but” Erika: “LISTEN-UH!” 😂 the Queer™️ defense of a movie that was a significant potion of the bi/pan awakening of us all 🏳️🌈
Goopy goopy dry dry, goopy goopy dry dry
Dry goopy Goopy dry kinda works for a fireside because that's exactly what roasted marshmallows are
Outkast's so fresh so clean but its so dry so goopy
Lou, hands down, I loved it. I am always a little dubious when gm shifts happen, as I lost a campaign that way that went for well over a year before that. But I am very excited to see you and the utopian-? Future you peeps are gettin into. Side note: Love the triangle of justhis that will unfold from those three lunatics making freaky space monkeys. Already invested. L&g Jazz - Germany (fan from the very first Falcons cry of the children's adventure) P. S. : Keep it up gang, it's a tough world, but golly will we be together in it!
A Lou Lou, Crackle, Crackle!
A pew pew! And Crackle Crackle!
This is my favorite
I like the new segment if dm diaries . ...dry goopy...goopy dry
Also the only bad thing about wet neon is the flickering. Sifu Kisu was in an old sci fi fighting film and I can’t watch it because strobe warnings on videos are for me.
Taupe2! CrackleCrackle or whatever the tagline is for the marketing of taupe2 cracklecrackle or ahoohoo taupe2 crackle crackle see they stack
goop dry crackle crackle
Kinetic sand and oobleck could be like siblings on the goopy-dry spectrum, each just slightly to the left or right of center
Ah, yes, the textural equivalent of cleaning up a spill with a microfiber towel 🤢
It’s such a pleasure to hear more from Lou ❤️ And I appreciate the show-don’t-tell exposition style. Undoubtedly I will miss things, but I might get them on a second or third pass through (ooo new treasure), or I go “what’s this? Why is it that way?” And my curiosity takes me into seeking knowledge in community. It keeps you open and the experience personal. Thanks folks 💕
I love the insights into what Lou's storytelling language is. This is such a fun campaign!
“Ah-gloop gloop, crackle crackle”
A coo coo, crackle crackle
A coup coup, crackle crackle!
Lou has such great narrative instincts and it really shows with this Mini - this system may be new to him, but by relying on his instincts with pc and worldbuilding, exposition, dramatic irony maintenance with the audience, etc. he's so clearly able to just jump right into this and nail it So pumped for the rest of it!
A-pew-pew (lasers, sci-fi, etc.)
yes! "pew pew crackle crackle" is perfect!
I think dry goopy is just kinetic sand
Very excited to learn more about the Mars colony based on this chat. What we’ve heard so far reminds me of N. K. Jemisin’s “Emergency Skin”.
Did I miss something in episode 1, or were Z-wave tech and Mars Pyramids a spoiler that we didn't get to yet? 🤔 Can't wait to see it
I put forth beginning/ending the episodes with a crisp "Ah He He"
Where is a fireside in space?
The sun 😎
I love the spaceport in Mombasa as a Halo reference.
As a 56-year-old, I had to clutch my pearls a little bit every time Brennan talked about Andrei as an "old man", but I like the idea that I might have grown up with Dr. Imani Cortez.
He hasn’t quite hit 40 yet. Once he’s a couple years in he’ll finally realize 50s aren’t that old 😆
Lou u are so real for being like "this all came from a visual vibe I imagined while listening to some soundtrack music" cuz that's how 95% of my campaigns get started
Two words for you: liquid chalk.
wet dry neon?
Yippee-ki-yay crackle crackle 😅
A beep boop, slide tackle. Space and slide ball. Best combo ever
A-goop-goop! Crackle crackle 😝
A-Goop-Good 👍
A-Goop-Goop*
Based on the end of this.. a-goop-goop?
A-pew-pew? Honestly, it'll come naturally.
Right?? If it’s gonna be space, gotta get them pew pews in there
Sounds like you need a new new crackle crackle. And it's bone-dry scifi invaded by gooey scifi for me. It's what made the Flood so brutal.
Tell me more about the father and son and the Zarbazians on Cram Cram.
It is criminal that nobody mentioned the expanse
I deeply identify with Aabria's gag of rejecting LotR references like a picky kid at dinnertime lol
Truly the feature of a keystone species
Dry-goop dry-goop, crackle crackle
Whoever did the audio needs to learn how to do their crossfades - a batch fade isn’t all that hard, smh 😭
Any kind of fried bread *does* communicate a sense of hope and community, correct.
A goo goo, crackle crackle is right there
Looks busy in regards to the brothel is wild 🤣🤣🤣
"Historicity"
not me adding Halo to my workout playlist or anything
If this campaign was a sci-fi show, I'd watch the FUCK out of it! Way to go, Lou! You're killing it!
It should have been Twoupe
Brennan I do not forgive you for goopy dry
See, I loved the way the first episode ended. It felt very Die Hard Nakatomi plaza-esque. To know that it was unplanned gives me hope for big DM swings in my own home game. Hell yeah, Lou.
Goopy goopy dry
Pew Pew Crackle Crackle
Beep Boop Crackle Crackle
We need Lou's lore doc once the show is done (or as soon as it doesn't spoil things)
But I do agree that I prefer learning lore through the show itself first. But then give me that delicious extraneous material!
Wet and neon is my favourite but I'll partake in dry and white too.
Zoom zoom
Got it in one
The fact that this is Lou’s first time DM is astounding to me. It was absolutely captivating and I fucking loved it. I was hooked from his opening and I just stayed locked in! Amazing job Lou, so hyped for the next episode 🔥♥️
If I recall correctly, Lou actually has dmd one or multiple home games (beyond just his tester multi shot campaign for this one) before-this is just his first time doing so on mic. Still very cool tho!
I like my Sci-fi both ways as long as it's done well 🥰 Lou is killing it!!
Crackle crackle! (Activate fire suppression systems, O2 level endangered!)
Reactor side chat
Solid
Let's gooo!!
❤️❤️❤️