Episodes
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The Quest for a Wife is harder than it seems... Learn just what it takes fro Cu Chulainn to woo the lady Emer, and what skills of cunning and swordsmanship you can use in your next TTRPG. We're joined by Irish folklore expert Dr Emmet Taylor, who regales us with the finer (and funnier) parts of this old Irish epic.
Check out Emmet's podcast: Guth: Reading Irish Myths and Legends.
Join our discord community. Check out our Tumblr for even more content. Support us on patreon.
Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here!
Socials:TumblrWebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebookCitations & References:
Read "The Wooing of Emer" online here or read an older, fragmentary version hereMeyer, Kuno, ‘The Wooing of Emer’, Archaeological Review 1 (1888): 68–75, 150–155, 231–235, 298–307Meyer, Kuno, ‘The Oldest Version of Tochmarc Emire’, Revue Celtique 11 (1890): 433-457.Toner, Gregory, ‘The Transmission of Tochmarc Emire,’ Ériu 49 (1998): 71-88.Taylor, Emmet, 'Tricks of the Trade: The Origin of Clessa in Irish Heroic Literature', Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 89 (2025): Forthcoming. -
The Quest for a Wife is harder than it seems... Learn just what it takes fro Cu Chulainn to woo the lady Emer, and what skills of cunning and swordsmanship you can use in your next TTRPG. We're joined by Irish folklore expert Dr Emmet Taylor, who regales us with the finer (and funnier) parts of this old Irish epic.
Check out Emmet's podcast: Guth: Reading Irish Myths and Legends.
Join our discord community.Check out our Tumblr for even more content.Support us on patreon.
Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here!
Socials:TumblrWebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebook
Citations & References:
Read "The Wooing of Emer" online here or read an older, fragmentary version hereMeyer, Kuno, ‘The Wooing of Emer’, Archaeological Review 1 (1888): 68–75, 150–155, 231–235, 298–307Meyer, Kuno, ‘The Oldest Version of Tochmarc Emire’, Revue Celtique 11 (1890): 433-457.Toner, Gregory, ‘The Transmission of Tochmarc Emire,’ Ériu 49 (1998): 71-88Taylor, Emmet, 'Tricks of the Trade: The Origin of Clessa in Irish Heroic Literature', Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 89 (2025): Forthcoming. -
Missing episodes?
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What's better than the undead you don't know? The undead that you do! Join us in this Halloween special as we delve into the spooky nature of medieval undead tales and ghost stories, and teach you how to adapt them to TTRPGs!
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Citations & References:
Saga Thing: The Tale of Thorstein Shiver -- listen hereCaesarius of Heisterbach. The Dialogue On Miracles. Translated by H. von E. Scott and C. C. Swinton Bland, vol. 2. Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1929.The Chronicle of Lanercost. Translated by Herbert Maxwell. James MacLehose and Sons, 1913.Saxo Grammaticus, The Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus. Translated by Oliver Elton, vol. 2. Norrœna Society, 1905.William of Malmesbury. The History of the Kings of England and the Modern History of William of Malmesbury. Translated by John Sharpe. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1815.William of Newburgh. “The History of William of Newburgh.” The Church Historians of England, edited and translated by Joseph Stevenson, vol. 4. Seeleys, 1856. -
Prokopios continues hyperbolizing this week, thereby compromising his account of Byzantine history. Highlights include Justinian being bad at war because he keeps thinking about the nature of god, barbarians nobody has ever heard of before showing up in Byzantium because they heard the emperor was giving out free money, and the Great Grain Embezzlement.
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Citations & References:
The Secret History and another versionWulfstan's Sermon to the English here -
Spice up your spells in D&D with this episode on divinatory magic from a real medieval grimoire! We discuss the legal status of the warlock and patron relationship, and just how reliable devils are for divinatory experiments, anyway?
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Citations & References:
The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic: info and get one yourself here!Forbidden Rites: a Necromancer's Manual online version here!All of Richard Keikhefer's books on magic here!Mirror of Florin references: the Hermetic Hour podcast, and Giordano Bruno's works on magic, astrology, and math. -
What if Bridgerton was set in Byzantium? What if the empress was the legal authority on matchmaking? Join us as we explore Prokopios' Secret History -- where the raunchiest secrets of the Byzantine court come to light -- and we teach you how to adapt it for function and gaming.
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Citations & References:
The Secret History and another versionA novelization of Theodora's life: Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore -
Magic has its uses, but also its dangers. In this episode, we discuss the more coercive, dangerous ways magic and necromancy was used in the middle ages -- and how, with care, you can use those themes in crafting your next bad guy in your TTRPG.
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Citations & References:
Forbidden Rites: a Necromancer's Manual online version here!All of Richard Keikhefer's books on magic here!The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic: info and get one yourself here! -
A secret assassination by the empress against her husband's wishes... A giant cryptid whale that terrorizes the coastline and kills sailors... We adapt Prokopios' Secret History of Byzantium for your next TTRPG.
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Danse Macabre: find it on DriveThruRPG here or at Stillfleet Studios here!
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Citations & References:
The Secret History and another versionMore about Porphyrios -
Join us as we discuss Curse of Strahd, medieval medicine, and the weird connection between doctors, plague, and vampires in history. Inspired by the darkest days of the Black Death and the connection between vampires, doctors, and death, Ainsley Sunday shows how game masters of every level can use medieval inspiration to create games that feel real without getting bogged down in history.
Play Leechcraft!
Ainsley's Socials: https://addersmire.itch.io/leechcrafthttps://www.instagram.com/addersmire/ https://addersmire.tumblr.com/
Join our discord community!Check out our Tumblr for even more.Support us on patreon.Check out our merch.
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Citations & References:
Leech by Hiron Ennes Thousand Year Old Vampire by Tim Hutchings Pathologic 2 (2019) Vampyr (2018) -
Spice up your D&D campaign with some real medieval magic! We're back with Necromancy 101 with new spells for TTPRG players, GMs, and witches alike. This week, we're discussing spells on charming a potential ally, embitter two friends against each other, and how to win the favor of your local lord. How does sympathetic magic work, and how can YOU adapt it to your game?
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Citations & References:
Forbidden Rites: a Necromancer's Manual online version here!All of Richard Keikhefer's books on magic here!The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic: info and get one yourself here! -
Prokopios is back at it with bad takes in his Secret History, spouting off what should only be found on Byzantine Twitter. Dive into his absurd takes on why the emperor is actually a demon, and why his wife is SUPER into him. Plus, explore the possibilities of actually having a demon emperor in your TTRPG game, and the complications of a nosy court historian for your players.
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The Beastiary Challenge! (<-- Don't miss it!)
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Citations & References:
The Secret History and another version -
We're delving back into the Munich Handbook of Necromancy this week with transportation and reanimation spells. With so many spells to choose from, we're walking you through how to adapt a horse summoning spell to your TTRPG campaign, and maybe even give your players an invisibility cloak to boot.
Our Kickstarter is LIVE! Be the first to get a deck of 50 magic items straight from medieval manuscripts!
Join our discord community!Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Check out our merch!
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Citations & References:
Forbidden Rites: a Necromancer's Manual online version here!All of Richard Keikhefer's books on magic here!References to Socrates' "Book of Magic: here & here The Ring of Gyges Wikipedia -
The Byzantine world continues to make for a perfect D&D setting! In this episode, Justinian outlaws astrology, while he and Theodora pretend to be an the embittered couple in order to play both sides of the sport-fans-turned-rioters, and "Pumpkin," the city prefect, is ousted from power by these sports fanatics. What could possibly go wrong?
Our Kickstarter is LIVE! Be the first to get a deck of 50 magic items straight from medieval manuscripts!
Join our discord community!Check out our Tumblr for even more!Support us on patreon!Check out our merch!
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Citations & References:
The Secret History and another version -
So you want to be a necromancer - in your next D&D campaign, sure, sure. But what IS necromancy, really? Join us in this episode as we dive into the real sources of medieval necromancy and black magic, and discover ways that real magical practices can fit into your next TTRPG campaign.
Our Kickstarter is just a week away! Be the first to get a deck of 50 magic items straight from medieval manuscripts!
Join our discord community!Check out our Tumblr for even more!Support us on patreon! Check out our merch!
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Citations & References:
Forbidden Rites: a Necromancer's Manual online version here! All of Richard Keikhefer's books on magic here! -
What can animals teach us about TTRPGs? Join us in this episode as we explore the world of Medieval Fables and just what they can teach us about life, death, and min-maxing with fables & medieval animal specialist Linnet Heald!
Check out our Kickstarter!Check out Sam's DEATH OF THE AUTHOR on Backerkit here!
Check out Linnet's Blog posts & her new work! (Website coming soon!)
The Raven’s False Greeting: Animal Language and Medieval Fable - linkLearning to Fear in Two Medieval Fables - linkThe Stag and the Dogs: A Medieval Fable - linkImagining the Medieval Bestiary - linkLinnet Heald, "Wicked Wolves, Culpable Sheep: Animal Lessons in Medieval British Fables," New Medieval Literatures 25 (2025) . (Forthcoming)Medieval Panther Woodcut: linkJoin our discord community!Check out our Tumblr for even more!Support us on patreon!Check out our merch!
The Beastiary Challenge! (<-- Don't miss it!)
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Citations & References:
Caxton’s Aesop ed. by Joseph Jacobs, 1889 - linkTEAMS Middle English Robert Henryson, The Complete Works: Fables - link & the Modern English TranslationLoeb Library's BABRIUS, PHAEDRUS, Fables - linkDavide Ermacora, “The Comparative Milk-Suckling Reptile,” Anthropozoologica 52, no. 1 (2017): 59–81.Lion Symbolism: Nigel Harris, "The Lion in Medieval Western Europe: Toward an Interpretive History," Traditio 76 (2021), 185–213. -
This week, we're delving into Empress Theodora's early life and rise to power as empress of the Byzantine era. From her breathtaking performances as a prostitute to her love-at-first-sight romance with Justinian as a young guard, we gather that Theodora was one hell of a woman, regardless of Prokopios' distaste for her.
Check out our Kickstarter!
Also, check out Gals and Goblins podcast here, and check out their TikTok and other cool content here! They've been gracious enough to share the pod and Kickstarter with their audience, and we're sharing the love - their actual play is goofy, lighthearted, and fun to listen to on commutes, in the kitchen, or while pruning your garden of poisonous plants you're planing to use to poison your evil overlord.
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The Beastiary Challenge!
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Citations & References:
The Secret History and another version -
It's our 100th episode! Come celebrate with us as we host our second tournament - Mac and I compete with each other to see who has the best approach to listener submitted quests, with parties compiled of the characters we've collected from each episode.
Special thanks to all the listeners who submitted quest ideas and questions for us to answer!
WHO WON? VOTE HERE!
Check out our Kickstarter!
Join our discord community!Check out our Tumblr for even more!Support us on patreon!Check out our merch!
The Beastiary Challenge! (<-- Don't miss it!)
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Citations & References:
Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher. “Vertuous Women Found: New England Ministerial Literature, 1668-1735.” American Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 1, 1976, pp. 20–40.Richard Keikhefer, Magic in the Middle Ages & Forbidden Rites - find both here!Bailey, Michael D. ‘The Disenchantment of Magic: Spells, Charms, and Superstition in Early European Witchcraft Literature.’ The American Historical Review, Vol 111, No. 2. April 2006. pp. 383-404.—. ‘The Age of Magicians: Periodization in the History of European Magic.’ Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, Vol. 3. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008. pp. 1-28.—. ‘The Disenchantment of Magic: Spells, Charms, and Superstition in Early European Witchcraft Literature.’ The American Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 2. University of Pennsylvania Press, April 2006. pp. 383-404. -
It's part two of the drama-filled adventure of Eliduc, the two-timing knight! In the final part of this tale, we discuss how medieval writers poke fun at the chivalric system, and explore how to adapt knighthood - in all its forms- into your D&D campaign.
Our KICKSTARTER is coming up! Sign up & try it out yourself here!
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The Beastiary Challenge! (<-- Don't miss it!)
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Citations & References:
The Lais of Marie de FrancePhysical and Mental Cruelty in the "Lais" of Marie de France, Renee L CurtisTwo for the Price of One: Courtly Love and Serial Polygamy in the "Lais" of Marie de France, Sharon Kinoshita -
The drama of courtly love affairs - and their consequences - is back with the Lay of Eliduc! When Sir Eliduc abandons his vows after becoming a knight errant overseas, his wife and young mistress are not left helpless - together, and with a little magic, the two of them subvert expectations to force Eliuduc's hand.
Check out the Kickstarter here!
Join our discord community!Check out our Tumblr for even more!Support us on patreon!Check out our merch!
The Beastiary Challenge! (<-- Don't miss it!)
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Citations & References:
The Lais of Marie de France Physical and Mental Cruelty in the "Lais" of Marie de France, Renee L CurtisTwo for the Price of One: Courtly Love and Serial Polygamy in the "Lais" of Marie de France, Sharon Kinoshita -
Looking for a new political-intrigue campaign, but on't want to compromise on combat and craziness? Join us this week as we explore the Nika riots, where sports fans create a gang war that nearly brings down the Byzantine empire. With unique faction styles, a political coup, and a pretender emperor, the Nika riots are the perfect ground for a successful city-wide campaign or one-shot!
Check out the Kickstarter here!
The Beastiary Challenge! (<-- Don't miss it!)
Join our discord community!Check out our Tumblr for even more!Support us on patreon!Check out our merch!
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Citations & References:
The Secret History and another versionCheck out the Burgs & Baliffs Poor Pilgrim's Almanack!Check out the TTRPG indie publisher Lost Pages! - Show more
