Part 1: Into the Flame | Starter Kit: Phoenix Dawn Command

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Geek & Sundry – Starter Kit
Episode: Part 1: Into the Flame | Phoenix Dawn Command
Host: Jason Charles Miller
Game Master (Marshal): Keith Baker
Original Air Date: January 26, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode serves as a comprehensive introduction to Phoenix Dawn Command, a unique, card-based tabletop RPG where meaningful character death is a vehicle for growth and power. Hosted by Jason Charles Miller with game creator Keith Baker, the session walks new players through creating their Phoenix characters and the world’s lore, setting the stage for an epic, supernatural battle against the Dread.

---

Episode Overview

The session begins with host Jason Charles Miller and Keith Baker introducing the premise and mechanics of Phoenix Dawn Command—a game inspired by heroic sacrifice, where death (and rebirth) is core to character progression. Unlike traditional RPGs, death is not a failure but an expected, empowering transformation.

Keith introduces the world: the Delian Empire (the “Daylit World”), beset by supernatural horrors known as "the Dread." Only the Phoenixes—reborn heroes chosen by fate and empowered by magical forces—can stand against this threat. Each Phoenix has died once, experienced the mystical Crucible, and returned with supernatural abilities and a personal story.

The remainder of the episode focuses on detailed character creation with each participant, exploring personal backstories, character motivations, and the mechanics underpinning Phoenix Dawn Command. The tone is deeply narrative-focused with the spotlight on storytelling, roleplaying, and the emotional underpinnings of each character’s journey.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Phoenix Dawn Command

• [01:46] Jason Charles Miller introduces the game and its central concept: "It's a role playing game where a meaningful death means returning more powerful with the dawn."
• [02:43] Keith Baker describes the setting: "Phoenix is set in the Delian Empire. It's a fantasy world at roughly the same level of development as the height of the Roman Empire... The last few years, there's just been a wave of supernatural terrors, which we collectively call the dread. The dead rising, ghosts haunting things. Mortal heroes can’t really fight these things.”

2. Game System Philosophy

• Card-based system (not dice):
  • [03:34] Keith Baker: "What you don't have is: I try and do a dramatic thing, and then I just get a bad roll and it all fails. Instead, it's about what is it gonna take for you to do the thing you want to do?"
  • Sacrifice and meaningful choice are emphasized. Death is woven into the narrative arc.
• Death and Rebirth as Progression:
  • [04:24] Keith Baker: “We basically wanted to take what is usually the worst part of a role playing game and combine it with the best part.”

3. Character Creation – Player Introductions

Each player sits down with Keith to explore their past life, cause of death, motivations, fears, and new abilities as a Phoenix.

Player 1: Chapter (Shrouded Phoenix)

• Background:
  • Former librarian, quiet and thoughtful; wielded dangerous knowledge to help an uprising, died when her library was destroyed.
  • “She was somebody who had knowledge of many different things … and it made her a bit of a target.” ([38:19] Chapter)
• Phoenix School: Shrouded – specialists in secrets, stealth, and learning.
• Talon (Weapon): Magic quill/pen.
• Personality: Afraid of fire, values knowledge.
• Core abilities: Always has intellect, strong on defense, can avoid attacks by vanishing.
• Quote:
  • [07:30] Chapter: “When they invaded, she and the library were probably taken down.”
  • [09:22] Chapter: “I actually think [her greatest fear] is fire, because she doesn't like the power of fire against books and against knowledge.”

Player 2: Kronos (Durant Phoenix)

• Background:
  • Raised by a doomsday-prepper father obsessed with the coming threat; killed in brutal training by her father.
• Phoenix School: Durant – died from not being tough enough, now defenders, hard to kill, good at war and athletics.
• Talon: Chakram (Xena-style).
• Motivation: Seeks strength, questions her father’s motives.
• Personality: Defensive, trust issues, valiant in combat.
• Quote:
  • [15:24] Kronos: “Like someone who's building the bomb shelter and, you know, stocking it … wanting her to be prepared to help him take down the Dread.”
  • [15:54] Kronos: “I think Cronus is really driven by ... the want to be strong enough that she's not put in that position again.”

Player 3: Pele (Elemental Phoenix)

• Background:
  • Daughter of a tyrant, mother murdered her in an act of insanity to spare herself; Pele’s focus is on protecting innocents and fighting abuse of power.
• Phoenix School: Elemental – died for duty, can wield fire and lightning, sacrifices personal energy for magic.
• Talon: Naginata (martial arts staff/sword).
• Motivation: Defend the weak, justice.
• Personality: Afraid of failure, bold and compassionate.
• Quote:
  • [25:36] Pele: “I think that it would probably be the fact of someone who's taking advantage of the people who are lower than him. I don't want someone to go through what I went through.”
  • [26:08] Pele: “I feel like failure would probably be a big deal, because even though she was probably very little, the fact that she couldn't even help out.”

Player 4: Pyre (Bitter Phoenix, Jason Charles Miller)

• Background:
  • Former warrior, slain ignobly in battle before he could prove himself. Fought against the Phoenixes in life but was reborn as one.
• Phoenix School: Bitter – died as failures, convert anger into power; stronger when injured or near death.
• Talon: Flaming axe. Appearance: constantly aflame.
• Motivation: Unfinished business, need for redemption.
• Personality: Ruthless, terrifying, inspiring.
• Quote:
  • [32:01] Pyre: “I feel like there's unfinished business ... I am extremely bitter about that.”

4. Wing Formation and Character Bonding ([34:28]–[39:53])

• Phoenixes are grouped into ‘wings’, teams mystically bonded through their magical flames.
• Group introductions, with players recapping their stories:
  • Pyre’s tragic fall and new purpose.
  • Pele’s rebirth from trauma and desire for justice.
  • Chapter’s legacy of forbidden knowledge.
  • Kronos’ quest for strength and healing from betrayal.
• Notable segment: Character traits and abilities are fleshed out, selected via color-coded cards—reflecting intellect, strength, and grace. Each player chooses traits matching their identity ([39:53]–[41:34]).
  • Quotes & banter:
    • [41:16] Jason Charles Miller (Pyre): "If you’re Phoenix Reborn, right? Another chance."
    • [41:26] Chapter: “I’m going to go with supernatural senses. That seems pretty true to my character.”

5. Deepening the Mechanics—Skill Specialty Swaps ([45:50]–[47:13])

• Keith invites players to swap skill specialties for further customization; encourages tailoring mechanics to suit backstory. Pele swaps "Empire" out for "Healer" to suit her preference.

6. First Mission Briefing ([47:57]–[51:43])

• Phoenixes’ first mission:

  • Teleported through the imperial flame to a remote Aerie (shrine). The process is described as excruciating (“feels like being burned alive”).
  • Greeted by Flame Keeper Eshal—her distinct appearance and mysterious mask described collaboratively by players (Player-driven worldbuilding).
  • The group is immediately thrust into crisis: a humming vibration, unnatural cold, voices whispering to Chapter, and then an explosion and screams in the distance.

• Notable quotes:

  • [50:55] Eshal (as voiced by Keith): “I am Flame Keeper Eshal, and I welcome you to Cloudspire Aerie ... There is a situation here that concerns me, and I would feel better if you would investigate it.”
  • [51:55] Keith Baker: “... you notice a few things. There is this sort of humming just all around... you feel a chill in the air. ... Chapter, you in particular do hear just voices, just whispering at the very back of your thoughts.”

7. Cliffhanger Ending: ([53:23]–[54:42])

• As the Phoenixes move to investigate, they must choose between a quick, dangerous descent or a slower, safer approach, aware that innocent lives are in the balance.
• All players opt for a heroic leap from the cliff edge into the flames of chaos below.
• Ends with a teaser: “And that’s where we’re gonna stop. If you want to find out what happens, join us on the next Starter Kit.” ([54:26]–[54:42])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Keith Baker, on the importance of sacrifice and agency:

  • "[03:34] ... it's about what is it gonna take for you to do the thing you want to do? ... your character is gonna die sooner or later. And that's generally more about you making a choice."

• Player 1, Chapter, on motivation:

  • "[09:07] I would probably say that she knows that she could become a source of great information about something that is hard to understand."

• Pele, on trauma and rebirth:

  • "[25:36] I don't want someone to go through what I went through with my mother."

• Pyre, explaining his nature:

  • "[32:01] ... I need to make up for the fact that the things that I wanted to do in the last life, I couldn't do, and that I am extremely bitter about that."

• Keith Baker, on Phoenixes as a team:

  • "[34:34] ... you are drawn together in what's called a wing. It's not like they chose to put you together. It's that your flames, the magical energy that empowers you, is connected."

• Group leap into peril:

  • "[54:14] Pele: 'I will leap.'
    Keith: 'Leap.'
    Pyre: 'Do I have a rope?'
    Chapter: 'I leap and I aim for Pyre's back.'"

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:46 – Episode & game introduction by Jason Charles Miller
• 02:35 – Keith Baker introduces the world of Phoenix Dawn Command
• 03:34 – Card-based mechanics and philosophy
• 05:33 – 20:00 – Player-by-player character creation: backstory, personality, and mechanics
• 34:28 – 41:34 – Players introduce characters to each other; selecting traits
• 47:57 – The first mission: arrival at the Aerie
• 50:55 – 51:55 – Descriptions of Flame Keeper Eshal and the mission's inciting crisis
• 53:23 – 54:42 – The cliffhanger leap and adventure hooks for next session

---

Tone and Style

• Narrative-rich, deeply collaborative, and character-focused.
• The tone is warm, inclusive, and instructional; Keith Baker and the players create an inviting space for newcomer and veteran roleplayers alike.
• Moments of levity (banter about their character traits and leap into action) balance the themes of loss and heroism.

---

Summary for New Listeners

If you missed the episode, you now have a full sense of what makes Phoenix Dawn Command unique: meaningful sacrifice, cooperative storytelling, and a card-based system designed for tension and agency. The episode equips you with the lore and rules to step into the world as a Phoenix, introduces four compelling new heroes, and ends with the team leaping headfirst into their first battle against the mysterious Dread. The next installment promises to deliver the series' trademark mix of drama, action, and emotion.

Transcript

[Podcast Sponsor Host 1]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not currently operating some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now that's easy and could save you money right from your Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. Plus auto customers qualify for an average of 7 discounts. There are discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more. And just like your, ahem, favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24 7, 365 days a year so you're protected no matter what. So multitask right now. Quote your car [e-mail] to to join over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12 month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

This episode is brought to you by FX's the Beauty Official Podcast. Join host Evan Ross Katz on the Official podcast for FX's hottest new series taking you behind the scenes with its amazing stars as they discuss the show's most jaw dropping moments. Featuring Evan Peters, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, Ashton Kutcher, Rebecca Hall, Bella Hadid, Meghan Trainor, Isabella Rossellini, Jessica Alexander and Ari Graner. Search FX is the Beauty Wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Welcome to your starter kit. I'm Jason Charles Miller. I've been playing role playing games since the early 1980s. I spent countless hours playing D and D and other RPGs with my friends and together we created stories and adventures that we'll always remember. I want to bring that same fun to other people and that's why I created Starterkit. Today we'll be learning to play Phoenix Dawn Command, created by Keith Baker. It's a role playing game where a meaningful death means returning more powerful with the dawn. Keef Baker is a well known name in the RPG world. He's the creator of the Dungeons and Dragons world Eberron. Keith will be our game Master or Marshal in Phoenix Dawn Command language and he'll teach us his unique card based rule system as we are reborn as mythical Phoenixes, warriors returned from death to save the empire. Hey Keith, you around?

[Keith Baker]

Yeah, hey. Good to see you.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Yeah, welcome. Let's have a seat. So tell us a little bit about the world of Phoenix Dawn Command.

[Keith Baker]

Phoenix is set in what we call the Delian Empire or the daylit world. And it's a fantasy world at roughly the sort of same level of development as the height of the Roman Empire. And it's a world that has been enjoying a sort of golden age until now. Over the last three years, there's just been a wave of supernatural terrors which we collectively call the dread. The dead rising, ghosts, haunting things. Mortal heroes just can't really fight these things, you know, there's no way to bring them down. That's where Phoenixes come in. A small, select group of people, when they die, go through what's called the Crucible and come back imbued with supernatural power.

[Jason Charles Miller]

With the mechanics of this game, you chose card based instead of dice based.

[Keith Baker]

It was something that sort of struck me as very interesting and is particularly relevant for Phoenix, which is a game where sacrifice plays an important role. Because you have the cards in your hand, it means you know what resources you have available before you attempt to do something. So what you don't have is I try and do a dramatic thing and then I just get. Get a bad roll and it all fails. Instead, it's about what is it gonna take for you to do the thing you want to do? And that's important because in Phoenix, your character is gonna die sooner or later. And that's generally more about you making a choice. You sort of, what is it gonna take to succeed? As opposed to, oh, you just made a bad roll and now you're petrified. Right.

[Jason Charles Miller]

And the good thing about dying in this game is you come back more powerful than before.

[Keith Baker]

We basically wanted to take what is usually the worst part of a role playing game and combine it with the best part of a role playing game.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Well, I'm excited to be a player in this game and I can't wait to meet the rest of the party and really dig in. So the table is yours.

[Keith Baker]

Thank you. I'm Keith Baker, creator of Phoenix Dawn Command, and this is your starter kit. With the dread spreading across the land, the people of the Empire are in great need of heroes. Fortunately, the Phoenixes have returned, imbued with strength and power to battle the dread. The Phoenixes have all died once before and been reborn as supernatural warriors. To create a Phoenix, a player must decide who their character was in life, how they died, and choose a school that fits that first death. So let's meet our players and build our Phoenixes. Hi, Hi.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Nice to meet ya.

[Keith Baker]

I'm Keith. I'm Keith. Pleasure to meet you.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

It's nice to meet you as well.

[Keith Baker]

Ready to play some Phoenix?

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I am excited. Yes. Please take me on this journey.

[Keith Baker]

Tell me about your history with roleplaying games.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I've played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons, mostly in high school and then a little bit more in college. But within the last five to six years, it started to become much more of a presence in my life. Thankfully, my favorite part about roleplaying is probably just the story.

[Keith Baker]

That's what I like too. So speaking of that, with Phoenix, knowing the story of your character is really as important as knowing numbers or statistics or things like that. One of the things that most defines your Phoenix is how you died. So you've chosen to be a shrouded Phoenix.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Shrouded?

[Keith Baker]

Yes. Shroudeds die because of secrets, either in pursuit of knowledge or because a secret was hidden or revealed. They excel at hiding themselves, sneaking around, but also at uncovering hidden things. So first off, when you're reborn, you take on a unique name, what we call a cog. What's your character's name?

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Chapter.

[Keith Baker]

Now tell me about chapter.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I think that chapter is a very quiet and thoughtful woman. I want her to probably have come from a library, having worked in a library in a semi populated town. Maybe she enjoyed learning and reading books and discovering things beyond what she was given and what the town was given. I would think that she also probably had some sort of otherworldly experience during her studies.

[Keith Baker]

Absolutely. Magic is out in the world. It was often kept hidden by the phoenixes, but it's out there.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Yes. And I think that she was probably given and started to hear voices. And I think by connecting to these spirits, she became kind of somebody who was known for better or worse in town.

[Keith Baker]

Right, right, right. And how did that lead to her death?

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I think that she provided the townsfolk who were trying to do, like, an uprising of some sort with some sort of military defense information. But she probably knew at the expense of her own life. So when they invaded, she and the library were probably taken down.

[Keith Baker]

All right, so one of the things about being a Phoenix is that the time you spend in the Crucible before you're reborn, it doesn't match up to time in the real world. So the first thing we want to do is figure out sort of how long ago did these things happen? One of the things is because you're about sort of helping the people. And secret knowledge that got you in trouble, figuring out where you're from in the world. So Elona is the heart of sort of imperial culture. And that's where you'd have the most, like, classic library back before the Phoenixes that was sort of ruled by these tyrannical families, the telugh who had these house gods that they would dominate people with. So that would be sort of your most classic sage, scholar sort of character.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 1]

Okay.

[Keith Baker]

You would have helped an uprising that ultimately failed. But then eventually the phoenixes came along and took those people down. Now the question is. That was quite a while ago. So what has caused you to come back now? The dread is happening. It's this mysterious thing. Were you drawn to that? Did you know? Did you feel that sort of powers were at work? Or is it because you're just trying to help the common people? You know, people are in trouble.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I would probably say that she knows that she could become a source of great information about something that is hard to understand.

[Keith Baker]

Fair enough. What frightens her? What is the thing that she's most afraid of?

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I actually think it's fire, because she doesn't like the power of fire against books and against knowledge.

[Keith Baker]

You're gonna get along great with some of her other plants. Oh, no.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Am I?

[Keith Baker]

And so the last thing. How do you see your appearance when you come back? As a phoenix, it's really about how you see yourself.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I think she is probably about 35, very mousy looking.

[Keith Baker]

All right.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Blonde hair with a big white streak through it and a little bun on the top of her hair. Big glasses and a very simple robe, but a distinguishable robe. Probably white with very distinct purple mantle.

[Keith Baker]

Now, every phoenix has a unique tool or weapon called a talon. What's yours?

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Maybe it's a pen. Maybe it's a quill.

[Keith Baker]

Okay.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

That can carve things or find information. It's just like a stealth quill that can sneak over and edit things and move things and maybe even create some sort of spell in one's skin that doesn't work.

[Keith Baker]

I like with the pen being mightier than the story that you just sort of write. Die now. Yeah.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

And then they die now.

[Keith Baker]

All right.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I love it. I write the story with the.

[Keith Baker]

Now. We should give you your starter kit. Ooh.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Yay.

[Keith Baker]

So beautiful. So go ahead and open that up. This has everything you need to get your character started.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

In my soul, it's glowing yellow right in my face.

[Keith Baker]

First off, as you can see, we have your name.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Oh, wow.

[Keith Baker]

So there's chapter.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I love it.

[Keith Baker]

And then we don't really have character sheets. Instead, what you have is a deck of cards. So go ahead and take your cards out.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Interesting. Okay.

[Keith Baker]

The top card is just sort of what we use to mark your position.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Okay.

[Keith Baker]

And then beyond that, you have three cards that tell you sort of your core character abilities. If you look at the first one there, this is about your sort of unique abilities as a Shroudie. You have more cards than other people. You always have intellect at your disposal. Moving along. What you have are your skills, the things that you're good at. You're good at sneaking around, at deceiving people, but also at finding things out and knowing things. And finally, we have your combat style. And in your case, you're very strong on defense. And if you avoid an attack, you can just disappear, hide in the shadows. All the rest of the cards are your action deck that you use to sort of accomplish your actions. Now, we need to make two choices about chapter before we go further. The first is that you pick a unique lesson. All of those every shrouded character starts with. But what we want to know, are you a shadow dancer, which means you are exceptional at just fading into the background or hiding behind things? Or are you have a shrouded bond, which means that you can sort of appear mysteriously around your friends, but also, if one of them dies, you gain their skills, you pick up their knowledge.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Oh, definitely the shrouded bond.

[Keith Baker]

All right, so you take that.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Awesome. I hope all my friends die.

[Keith Baker]

Then, in addition to that, you are going to have a trait, which is a descriptive ability about you. We have hidden motion, which means you're very good at staying hidden while you're sneaking around. Or psychometry, which lets you touch a thing and know its secrets.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Her name is Chapter. She's all about learning secrets.

[Keith Baker]

I had a feeling that would be your thing. All right, so that's all the decisions you need to make right now. And so in a few minutes, we'll meet the rest of your wing and we'll finish your character together.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I'm so excited. Let's get this book started.

[Keith Baker]

Hi. Come on in.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 3]

Hello. Hey.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

How's it going?

[Podcast Sponsor Host 1]

Good.

[Keith Baker]

I'm Keith.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Keith Havana. Nice to meet you.

[Keith Baker]

Nice to meet you. You ready to make Phoenix?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I'm so ready.

[Keith Baker]

So tell me a little bit about games you've played and what you like in role playing.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Well, I've been playing Dungeons and Dragons since I was a sophomore in high school, and I started in 3.5 edition. It was kind of a weird setting because I was a sophomore in high school and I was playing with a bunch of like 40 something year old men in like an attic comic book shop. And then like one other boy my age, but they were so knowledgeable and I was just kind of like picking and grabbing all of it and really thriving off that, but still having a really fun time and probably being really annoying.

[Keith Baker]

So in Phoenix, knowing the story of your character is almost as important as knowing sort of what abilities you possess. You decided that you were gonna play a Durant Phoenix, and the Durant is someone who died because they weren't tough enough. And so what they've learned is to become stronger. They're the hardest Phoenixes to kill and they excel at defending others. So with that in mind, what is the name you've taken for your character?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I've chosen to name my character Kronos.

[Keith Baker]

So who was Kronos in their first life and how did they die?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Cronos was the daughter of this man who was really overwhelmingly obsessed with defeating the Dread, you know, planning for it and training, and had kind of pulled his daughter into that lifestyle as well.

[Keith Baker]

And you just weren't tough enough?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

No, definitely not. And so during a particularly brutal training session, Cronus was actually struck down by her father. And even when she's reborn is not super certain, like if that was an intentional like weeding out the weak or if it was just an act because he was so overwhelmed with wanting to make her stronger and wanting her to be prepared to help him take down the Dread.

[Keith Baker]

The thing about the Dread is the Dread has only been around for three years. It's a very recent thing. So the question is, is this something that again, your father just jumped right on it, was an early adopter or was it that he was a conspiracy nut who was worried about the Dread long before it happened, which it is.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I definitely think an obsessive. So kind of, I guess to put it in modern day terms, like someone who's building the bomb shelter and you know, like stocking it with all the things and self defense and things like that.

[Keith Baker]

Is he still alive? You don't know. All right, so the next question then is when you died, it's not like you just died and boom, you got these powers. You actually had to go through something called the Crucible, which is this spiritual gauntlet. What gave you the strength to go through basically, what are you fighting for?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I think Cronus is really driven by the of whether her death was purposeful or not. But just as much is driven by the want to be strong enough that she's not put in that position again.

[Keith Baker]

And Is she excited about fighting the Dread, or is that sort of linking her head?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I think it's more of a very, like, blind determination.

[Keith Baker]

All right, tell me what she looks like.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

She's very strong, very muscular. She wears light armor, and she has a special necklace that her father actually gave her. It's made of finger bones.

[Keith Baker]

Creepy.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

That he's taken from Dread. He's defeated, supposedly. Who knows if they're all specifically Dread or something.

[Keith Baker]

How old was she when she died? Cause when you become a Phoenix, you're reborn sort of as you see yourself. So was she very young?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

She was 18.

[Keith Baker]

And the last thing I'd ask is every Phoenix has a unique sort of weapon or tool called a talon. What is your talon?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

My talon is actually a chakram. Chakram. How do you say that?

[Keith Baker]

Chakram.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I think her talent is a chakram, which is made famous by Xena, Warrior Princess. But, yeah, she kind of uses that tool. She likes using a ranged weapon like that because as much as she is stronger, there's still a deep part of herself that likes to keep her distance from her enemies and even people she cares about. So.

[Keith Baker]

All right, well, this is your starter kit. It has everything you need to start making your character. So open that up. First of all, we have your name.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Oh, my God, that's so cute.

[Keith Baker]

And so you've got to have a banner if you're going into battle. And then if you pick up the cards, these are what we use in place of a character sheet to define your character. The first card, this is your sort of core ability as a durant, which is that you can resist injuries and shake off wounds if you keep going. These are your skills and the things you're good at. You're very athletic. You're tough. You understand war. And then finally, we have your combat style, which, with durance, is that you're very good in defense, and you get to draw a card every time you defend everything else in there. These are your action cards. These are what you'll use to determine the success or failure of your actions. Now, we're going to make two choices really quick. First, you get to pick one of two lessons. The Durant Bond means you have a connection to your allies, and you can sort of give them a little bit of strength by burning some of your energy. And if they die, you take one of their powers alternately. Paragon is an ability that just as long as you are unhurt, you get more cards and you're stronger, which sounds more like Kronos. To you.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I'm thinking Paragon.

[Keith Baker]

Alright, go ahead and grab that because trust issues. That makes sense. And then finally you get a trait that's a unique ability. You either have valiant, which is a strong attack as long as you are unhurt, or if you're more about having a skin of steel and being more.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Defensive, I would say valiant.

[Keith Baker]

All right, there you go. So set all those together and then we're going to finish things up when we meet the other members of your wings.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Yay.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Awesome. Thank you so much.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 3]

You know that feeling when you realize you've been paying for something that absolutely should be free? Well, that's how I felt before I found Chime. And it's completely changing how I think about banking because it's changing the way that people bank. Chime is fee free and smarter banking built for you. It's not like old school banks that charge overdraft fees and monthly fees and punish you for the simple act of existing. No, what really sold me is how Chime actually works around real life. With features like MyPay, you can get access to up to $500 of your paycheck anytime. And if you use direct deposit, you can even get paid up to two days early, which is pretty cool. Now, mentioning fees before, let's talk about them because Chime just straight up says no thank you. No overdraft fees, no minimum balance fees, no monthly fees. Period. Instead, Chime turns everyday spending into real rewards and real financial progress. You get things like fee free banking with overdraft coverage. You can build your credit history stress free and you get savings that earn up to 3.5% APY, which is a whopping eight times higher than a traditional bank. And they're even rated five stars by USA Today for customer service with real humans available 24. 7. Now, speaking of credit, Chime just launched something interesting. It's called the Chime Card. It's a new way to build credit history using your own money and get rewarded for it every single day without annual fees, interest or strings attached. When you have qualifying direct deposits, you can earn 1.5% cash back on eligible Chime card purchases, which is pretty cool to see them together. Now, if I were a younger person trying to build my copy credit from the ground up, this would have been the perfect solution. So I'm really glad it exists now because it feels like a perfect solution for you out there as well. Chime is not just smarter banking. It's the most rewarding way to bank join the millions who are already banking fee free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to chime.com criticalrole that's chime.com criticalrole.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services A secured Chime Visa credit card and MyPay line of credit provided by the Bancor Bank NA or Stride Bank NA. MyPay eligibility requirements apply and credit limit range $20 to $500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com feesinfo advertised annual percentage yield with Chime+status only. Otherwise 1.00% APY applies. No min balance required. Chime Card on time Payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 3]

Folks, it is cold outside. It's a brand new year. But my wardrobe still feels stuck in the past. Or at least it did until I went to Quint's. Quint's brings together premium materials, thoughtful design and enduring quality so you can stay warm, look sharp and feel your best all season long. And Quinta has everything you might need. Men's Mongolian cashmere sweaters, wool coats, leather and suede outerwear, and they all actually hold up to daily wear and still look good. Their outerwear is particularly impressive. They've got down jackets, wool coats, Italian leather outerwear that keeps you warm. When it's actually cold, it's pretty cool. And you and each piece is made from premium materials by trusted factories that meet rigorous standards for both craftsmanship and ethical production. And by cutting out middlemen and traditional markups, Quint delivers the same quality as luxury brands at a fraction of the price. And the result? Classic styles that you'll love, which hold up year after year. Now I got a couple things from Quince myself and I am very happy with them. I had some holiday parties to go to. My sweater collection was looking a little bit underserved, shall we say? So I picked up a Mongolian cashmere sweater. Polo makes me feel like I walked right out of Mad Men and this looks really good on me. Now for lounging at home, you know, I got a pair of super soft fleece sweatpants. I never want to take them off, literally ever. It's kind of a problem. But you know what's not a problem? The fact that you can refresh your winter wardrobe with quints. Go to quints.com criticalrole for free shipping and on your order. And 365 day returns now available in Canada too. That's Quince Q U I n c e.com criticalrole Free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com criticalrole.

[Keith Baker]

Hi, how are you doing?

[Player 3 - Pele]

Alexis.

[Keith Baker]

Keith.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Nice to meet you.

[Keith Baker]

Nice to meet you. Are you ready to make a Phoenix?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Yes.

[Player 3 - Pele]

I'm so excited.

[Keith Baker]

So, first of all, tell me about you and role playing games.

[Player 3 - Pele]

I actually haven't played since high school, so most of my role playing knowledge is either through video games or mostly just watching people playing D and D and things like that.

[Keith Baker]

All right, so in creating a Phoenix, the important thing is we want to know sort of who you were, how you died, and sort of the lessons you're taking away from that. Each Phoenix takes on a new name when they're reborn. Okay, so what's your character's name?

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Pele.

[Keith Baker]

Okay, and tell me about Pele and how she ended up dying.

[Player 3 - Pele]

I picked the name because of the fact that it's from Hawaiian God. And so I feel like the story that I picked for her works out really well. She was a daughter of a powerful ruler, and this powerful ruler pretty much was taking advantage of this village and they found her mom and wanted, you know, to have kids because the fact that I looked like him, my mother couldn't stand it. So at one point she kind of just lost her sanity and decided to, like, light the house on fire. And I was in it.

[Keith Baker]

So in the world of Phoenix, that's probably going to put you up north in the land that's called Scavia, because that's more where they're sort of little communities like that. Now you've decided to be an Elemental Phoenix. Elementals traditionally die for duty. They burn their very sort of life essence to power their magic. They wield powers of sort of fire and storm and cold, which lets them make very powerful attacks. But again, they can burn away their own strength to power it. Now, traditionally, the Elemental is about duty. They are dying for a cause. What do you see sort of as being the thing that drives Pele?

[Player 3 - Pele]

I think that it would probably be the fact of someone who's taking advantage of the people who are lower than him. And I feel like that's enough of a drive that I don't want someone to go through what I went through with my mother.

[Keith Baker]

So what we would be sort of dealing with here is the world is facing the dread. Obviously, you are wanting to protect innocent people from danger, but at the same time, you're also wanting to make sure they're not abused by the powerful. That makes sense to me. What is something that you're Particularly afraid of.

[Player 3 - Pele]

I feel like failure would probably be a big deal, because even though she was probably very little, the fact that she couldn't even help out.

[Keith Baker]

Now, that's a really interesting point. So, as a Phoenix, when you die and you're reborn, first off, any amount of time could have passed, but also your reborn is how you see yourself. So how old do you think she was when she died?

[Player 3 - Pele]

I'm gonna say maybe five or six.

[Keith Baker]

And what does she look like now?

[Player 3 - Pele]

I would say probably she's closer to my age. Maybe in the young, older 20s, or maybe even 30s.

[Keith Baker]

And what does she look like? You wield powers of fire and storm. Does that manifest, or.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Yeah, I feel like she used to be maybe, like, a brunette, and maybe now her hair is kind of like how my hair is, where it's, like, very red. And I feel like that's enough for her to stand out and be prominent.

[Keith Baker]

Finally, each Phoenix has a unique tool or weapon called a talon. What's peleis?

[Player 3 - Pele]

So I picked a naginata, or a staff with a sword or a blade at the end of it. As a martial artist, I've used that a lot, and I really thought that would be really cool because. Because it's long enough and wide enough for her to be able to make either shields or something that she can protect other people and also use in close combat and in long range as well.

[Keith Baker]

And certainly, as an Elemental, you also sort of wield powers of fire, and it's up to you to decide how that looks. So it could be that you use that as a focus for flaming energies.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Yeah.

[Keith Baker]

All right, well, let's go on and get you your starter kit. This has everything you need to start creating, so go ahead and open it up. First of all, you get a banner, because everybody needs a banner.

[Player 3 - Pele]

I just want to keep this forever.

[Keith Baker]

That's so cool. But then you also have a deck of cards, and these are what we use instead of a character sheet. These define your abilities. So if we go through starting from the top, if you switch to the next one, these are your sort of skills. The things that you. You're especially good at as an Elemental. You understand fire and destroying things. That's your specialty. But you also know both about sort of magic in general. You understand the arcane. You also know about the Empire. It's just you've learned about its history and such. The next card is your combat style. As an Elemental, you can wield fire, and your thing is that you can burn energy. Normally, you can only play a Couple of cards you can burn your energy to keep adding cards to your spreads. You can make very dramatically large attacks, but at the cost of your own energy. And finally, you have an ability that lets you burn your health to get more sparks, to get the energy that you use to power your attacks. So, as I said before, you can sort of burn through your life force to get the power to defeat your enemies. These are cards that all elementals possess, but we need to make a couple choices about you in particular.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Okay.

[Keith Baker]

An Elemental Bond gives you a connection to the rest of the wing, and when you gain energy, they gain energy as well. The other option is Fire Starter, which basically lets you set people on fire. Which of those sounds more like what you want?

[Player 3 - Pele]

Oh, no. You're gonna make me choose. I'm gonna do Elemental Bond.

[Keith Baker]

Excellent. Thinking of others. I like it.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Yeah.

[Keith Baker]

And then finally, we're going to choose a special attack that you have. And the question is if you would like to be able to call lightning or if you want to be even better at setting things on fire.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Oh, no, I like both of them. Okay, let's change it up. I'll do lightning this time.

[Keith Baker]

All right, that's all for now. We're gonna pick a few more cards with the rest of the group, which we'll meet in just a few minutes. Thank you so much. Looking forward to it.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

That's so exciting.

[Keith Baker]

Hey. Hey. Come on in. Let's make a Phoenix. So I know you played a few games before.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Yeah, a little bit. You know, grew up playing D and D. Gamma World, Star Frontiers, Original Gamma World. Yeah, original Gamma World. Still have the boss.

[Keith Baker]

So in Phoenix, you're playing someone who lived some sort of normal life, died a dramatic death, and then had the opportunity to be reborn as a Phoenix. So you've looked at the options, and you decided you want to play a bitter Phoenix.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Yeah.

[Keith Baker]

Bitters are Phoenixes who have died as failures. They're angry. They take that anger and they turn it against their enemies. They get stronger the more they're hurt, and the closer to death, the more powerful you are.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Well, my idea, when I was learning a little bit about the world of Phoenix Dawn Command, was he would be a character that fought in the Civil War and was actually on the humanist side. And what made him be reborn as a bitter Phoenix was he was this amazing warrior. He's marching in. He's at the head of the charge, and he gets taken out by a projectile weapon. Just, boom, done. No chance for glory. Boom. Blown up before he can throw a single Strike.

[Keith Baker]

Which is a bitter way to go, for sure. So the Civil War you're talking about is part of the history of the world, where basically the first Phoenixes originally established the empire, brought order to the land. But ultimately, people thought it was a little creepy being ruled by this small group of supernatural people. The Phoenixes ultimately stepped down and basically stopped coming back. Until now. Now you fought on the humanist side, the side of the people trying to overthrow the Phoenixes, and then, ironically, came.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Back as a Phoenix.

[Keith Baker]

Well, yes. So again, though, as a Phoenix, you had to fight to come back. You had to go through all these trials, learning your new powers. Why is it that you've come back now?

[Jason Charles Miller]

I feel like there's unfinished business. And going through the trials of becoming a Phoenix. What side I fight on doesn't matter. What matters is that I need to make up for the fact that the things that I wanted to do in the last life, I couldn't do, and that I am extremely bitter about that.

[Keith Baker]

What does your character look like?

[Jason Charles Miller]

I felt like since he was killed by a fire elemental, it might look like he's always on fire.

[Keith Baker]

Phoenixes, again, are inherently supernatural, so, sure, it's kind of. Kind of dramatic, but absolutely. A few things about creating your character to begin with. Here's your starter kit.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 3]

Cool.

[Keith Baker]

Now, as a Phoenix, when you're reborn, you take on a new name that we call your Cog. What's your character's name?

[Jason Charles Miller]

Pyre.

[Keith Baker]

Excellent. So let's see what you've got here.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Awesome.

[Keith Baker]

So as a Phoenix, you don't really have a character sheet as such. Instead, what you have is your deck of cards. So your combat style tells you how you fight and what's particular about your style.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Okay.

[Keith Baker]

Skill specialties are the things that you're particularly good at when you're not fighting.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Great.

[Keith Baker]

And then every school has some sort of unique talent for you. It's about getting stronger the closer you are to death. These are cards that all Bitter Phoenixes possess. But now we're gonna pick a couple that are specific to you. Okay, so first off, you're gonna get a lesson. You could choose either the bitter Bond, where you feel the pain that your comrades feel and as they're hurt, you get stronger, or Endless Rage, which is about entering sort of berserk fury that makes you attack more effectively, but makes you worse at defending yourself. Which of those sounds like Pyre?

[Jason Charles Miller]

I think Pyre has learned some lessons from his last life, and I think he would choose Bitter Bond.

[Keith Baker]

Alright, so you get that.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Great.

[Keith Baker]

So Then the final thing we want to do is to add a trait to your deck, something that describes who Pyre is. Do you think that he is reckless or ruthless?

[Jason Charles Miller]

I think he used to be reckless, and now he's ruthless.

[Keith Baker]

All right, this is a powerful attack, and you can choose to take an injury on yourself to make it even stronger. Well, that's all we need to do to get started making your character. In a few minutes, we'll meet the rest of your wing, and we can figure out who you all are as a group. Great.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Can't wait to play.

[Keith Baker]

All right. Hi, everyone. Welcome to your wing. Everyone ready to play some phoenix?

[Player 3 - Pele]

Yes.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Oh, yes. I'm excited.

[Keith Baker]

So the world you're in is called the Lia, or the daylit World. This is a world that's roughly at the state of the sort of Roman Empire. It's a world where magic exists, but it's generally sort of dangerous and mysterious. The last couple hundred years have been pretty good because there was a group of phoenixes who fixed everything until some people fought a war against them, and they sort of stepped down and disappeared and became legends. But that was okay because everything was good up until a couple years ago, where the dread started happening and horrible, terrible things happening, just all over, getting worse. We don't know why. We don't know how they're related, but the one thing we have going for us is that phoenixes have started to return to fight the dread and to protect the innocent people of the empire. There's about 100 Phoenixes in the world today, and you're all part of an organization called Don Command. This is all something that's happened very recently. Don Command isn't recognized by the Empire at this point. People have heard stories of phoenixes, but you're still very much legends. You are drawn together in what's called a wing. It's not like they chose to put you together. It's that your flames, the magical energy that empowers you, is connected. This is represented by the fact that a lot of you have bonds, so you can sense. You know, you sense when the others are hurt. You sense when they expend energy, and you also give them energy. You just have. Even though you hadn't met each other before a week or two ago, you feel this deep sort of connection to one another. You've all been reborn. You're new as phoenixes, but you have a tremendous amount of skill and power. You spent years in the Crucible, sort of learning your skills. So while you're new and this is your first mission together. You're good at what you do. And then the final thing, of course, to bear in mind is that as Phoenixes, when you die, you come back stronger than before. You can do this up to seven times. The seventh time, you're gone, so you want to be careful as you go. But the whole. The whole point on Phoenix is that death is not failure. It's not the end as long as you accomplish something. You don't want to be afraid of putting yourself in harm's way. You just want to make sure that this is a valuable resource you possess and that you're using it in a valuable way. Does that make sense? All right, everyone, go around and just tell us a little bit about who you are. Introduce yourself to the group. You all theoretically know each other by now, so what would they know if they've been working with you for a week or two?

[Jason Charles Miller]

My name's Pyre, and I used to fight on the side of humans. And I am a bitter Phoenix because I was charging into battle, and I was immediately taken out by an Elemental Phoenix. Before Fire one, actually, before I could do any damage or do anything. So I came back bitter. I look like I'm on fire. Flames seemed to be leaping off, and I'm just like this big, hulking warrior with a big flaming axe.

[Keith Baker]

All right, Pele, of course you have.

[Player 3 - Pele]

To make me go next. My name is Pele. I am an Elemental. I'm sorry. She actually, when she was reborn, she was killed by her mother because a person in power took advantage of her. And I am the result of what happened from that. And she went insane because she couldn't look at me anymore. She lit the house on fire, and I was. Was in it. Me being reborn. I am now a person for the people so that other people don't get taken advantage of anymore. I want to be a warrior for them.

[Keith Baker]

So this is the Fire side of the table. Over on the other side.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Chapter. My name is Chapter, and I am. In my former life, I was a librarian. Very quiet, very demure. She was somebody who had knowledge of many different things of different origins, but also those of spiritual origin. And it scared some people. Yeah, and it also made her a bit of a target. And she was taken out because she had assisted her town in a military uprising.

[Keith Baker]

And last, but certainly not least, I am Cronus.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I was raised mostly by my father. After my mother had died, he went a little crazy and started pretty much militarizing my siblings and I. In a particularly difficult training session, he Actually struck me down. And now I've come back as a Phoenix, and I'm just trying to prove that I am strong enough and I am beefy.

[Keith Baker]

I'm a beefy lady.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

Get it, girl?

[Keith Baker]

Now we have one more step to finishing your characters. You all made a couple of choices that were directly related to your schools, but now you're all going to pick four more traits that describe your characters. Adjectives that are about you. You know, with your boxes, you're color coded. This relates to whether you deal with intellect with the blue or strength the red. Each of you are going to pick two cards of the color associated with your school. And each of you will pick two of the green cards, which are Grace. Don't worry about the small print right now. Basically, what you're just looking for is the agitator that you feel. That sounds like what I'm about.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 1]

Oh.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

The smartest person in the room.

[Keith Baker]

There you go. Definitely. So you get one more intellect and two of the grace.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Let's see. Let's see.

[Player 3 - Pele]

I think I'm gonna do this. Untouchable, Grace.

[Keith Baker]

Untouchable.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Can I get vengeful over here?

[Keith Baker]

Vengeful death. Where is it?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

A vengeful two of grace and two of.

[Keith Baker]

Two of grace and two of strange.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Well, I know. I think I want terrifying.

[Keith Baker]

Oh, you are terrifying.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Exactly.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 3]

Oh, my God.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Can I have the warlock intellect right there? Okay. I'll get killer instinct as my second grade.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Thank you for picking that, because I was trying to decide between that and misspent youth.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

There you go.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Thank you.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

So it worked out.

[Keith Baker]

Your misspent youth was misspent in a very different way than most people, but it was admittedly misspent.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I think I'm gonna take astonishing luck. I feel like there's some luck I.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Might have to cut it right here.

[Keith Baker]

That is fine.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Grab the edge of this beautiful card.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Strength.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

God.

[Jason Charles Miller]

I think the irony of me failing. I have to take too big to fail.

[Keith Baker]

All right. Too big to fail.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Yeah.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Ooh, Survivor.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Keith Baker]

All right.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

So pissed. I'm furious. That's what I'm trying to say.

[Player 3 - Pele]

No, I get it.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Crude but effective. Real raunchy.

[Player 3 - Pele]

All right, I'm gonna switch to. Switch on the other side.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

Yeah.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Come on over.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Commander.

[Keith Baker]

All right.

[Jason Charles Miller]

And inspiring. Always go along with it.

[Keith Baker]

So you really are turning it around.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

Yeah.

[Keith Baker]

Trying.

[Jason Charles Miller]

You were, you know, well, if you're Phoenix Reborn, right?

[Podcast Sponsor Host 3]

Yup.

[Keith Baker]

Absolutely.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Another chance.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Having a hard time picking my second one.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Some good ones over here. I know I am between supernatural Senses or brilliant deduction?

[Player 3 - Pele]

Oh, those are both really good.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I know. I think I'm gonna go with supernatural senses. That seems pretty true to my character.

[Keith Baker]

All right.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Okay.

[Player 3 - Pele]

I think I will do resourceful.

[Keith Baker]

Okay.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 3]

Greetings, adventurers. You know what the best part of winter is for me personally? It's not getting some time off from work. It's not, you know, seeing freshly fallen snow on the ground. No. It's getting to put my dog in an adorable little sweater. She pretends like she doesn't like it, but she really likes it. And even better, I love it. She is the light of my life. Life. And, you know, I'd probably do anything for her. And that's fitting, because we have a quick message from today's sponsor, the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program. Now, you know your pet is part of the family. You'd probably do pretty much anything for them, right? But those vet bills. Yeesh, yeah, they can add up quicker than you'd think. So that's why it's worth checking out ASPCA Pet health insurance. Pet insurance can help manage the vet bill so you can focus on what really matters, making sure your pet gets the care they need when they need it. Oh, and here's a little bonus. There's a perk for enrolling. When you Enroll in an ASPCA pet health insurance plan, you can get a $25Amazon gift card. It's a little treat for you while you're doing something great for your pet. And this program offers customizable accident and illness plans, making it easier to get your pet the care they may need. So to accept, Explore coverage, visit aspcapetinsurance.com criticalrole that's aspcapetinsurance.Com criticalrole Eligibility restrictions apply. Visit aspcapetinsurance.commazon terms for more info. This is a paid advertisement. Insurance is underwritten by either Independence American Insurance Company or United States Fire Insurance Company and produced by PTZ Insurance Agency Ltd. The ASPCA is not insured and is not engage in the business of insurance. Greetings, adventurers. Now, riddle me this. This thing. All things devour. Birds, beasts, trees, flowers. Gnaws iron, bites steel, grinds hard stones to meal, slays king, ruins town and beats high mountain down. Do you know the answer? You probably do if you're listening to this podcast. The answer is time from the Hobbit. You know this. But time is so important. It's something you don't really think about until it's too late. Half the time, it's one of the most important resources we have. More important than hp, mp, exp anything on your life's character sheet. And I didn't realize how much time I was spending trying to manage my finances each month until I started using Rocket Money. And my goodness, it has saved me oodles of time scores even, which both legitimate measures. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Rocket Money is very useful for me because I have a lot of subscriptions, perhaps too many to count, and it's helped me track these subscriptions and I can even cancel them within the app with a few taps, saving time and avoiding charges because I didn't realize I was spending $9.99 per month on whatever this thing was that I signed up for in a Fugue state back in like 2023. Well, no more. See you later Fugue State subscription service. And also what I like about it is it lets me plan ahead. I feel like I live my life sometimes surrounded by a series of Tasmanian devils all vying for my attention, and they are all very compelling and distracting. But it's no way to live. Rocket Money but lets me set budgets and goals and gives me personalized insights and regular reports. So when we're planning for a big vacation we want to take next year, I can better visualize at a glance what I need to do, what we need to put aside, and the best path forward so we can just kick back, relax, and enjoy the Scottish Highlands or wherever we go. I'll never tell. So let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. [e-mail] sun that's right. RocketMoney.com Sundry RocketMoney.com Sundry and now onto the show.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Thank you very much.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I'm gonna do absolute conviction.

[Keith Baker]

Excellent, everyone.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I'm almost there. I need one more grace card for being the smartest person in the room. I'm not doing a very good job.

[Keith Baker]

I'll do like that's the only one I need.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I'll put the others small and quick.

[Keith Baker]

Okay, let's push these away. Now I'm gonna ask one more question. Just as you have developed your characters a little, when you look at the cards in front of you, each of you has skill specialties that are four things that your character is good at. You have the option as we make characters to swap one of those out. So particularly looking at Pyre, you've got Commander, you've got Inspiring. It just strikes me, maybe you want to drop one of these to be good at leadership or war or something like that. Or do you feel like these are all things you like being good at?

[Jason Charles Miller]

Yeah, I would probably drop shadows, so.

[Keith Baker]

Just make a note of that. Just under here just say swapped shadows for war. Do your sound yours, I think seem all sound with your character.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

They are on point.

[Keith Baker]

Do you see anything on your list you don't really like for Cronus?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I think I like all of them. I've got athletics, endurance, leadership and war.

[Player 3 - Pele]

With mine, which is fire, destruction, the arcane, and the Empire. I'm not quite sure about the Empire.

[Keith Baker]

I think that makes sense. We could drop that out. So just tell me very briefly again, what do you think she's good at? What are her sort of specialties? Might she be sort of familiar with the natural world? Might she be a healer?

[Player 3 - Pele]

I would like to do that since that's usually where I go to is for the healing.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Yeah.

[Keith Baker]

And again, that's mundane, but it's still. You can try and do stuff. So just again, just make a note. Just say, replace the empire with healer. Now, the last thing I want to say here before we actually dive into the story. This is a role playing game. It's a story that we're building together. The importance of thing is there's no wrong answers, there's no wrong actions. You can try anything you can come up with. It's not like you need to look up five different rules, describe what it is that you want your character to do, and then we'll work together to figure out how to do it. Does that make sense? Yeah. All right. So are you ready for your first mission?

[Player 3 - Pele]

Yes, please.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I do have a quick question, please. Do we put these out and look at these or what do we do with these cards?

[Keith Baker]

That is an excellent question. So the traits you have just picked up, you shuffle them into the little deck of cards. So basically what you have there, these are your action cards. They have values from 1 to 4. And what you did is picked the ones because since they're your lowest cards, they get something to balance that out and to make them cooler. So just shuffle those together and set those to the same. Once we get into action, we'll get into what you do with them. So let us get into the story. You haven't been phoenixes for very long because there haven't been Phoenixes back in the world for very long. So most of you have probably only been back for a week or two. This is your first big mission out in the world. I mentioned before that this is a sort of level of development roughly similar to Roman Empire. One of the big challenges is communication and travel are not fast. You know, by the time something terrible is going on, you know, by the time anyone can get there, it's too late. As phoenixes, you have an advantage over that. The old phoenixes established what are called Ares. They are these sort of shrines and garrisons at certain points in the Empire. Each one has what's called the Imperial Flame and a special hearth. They can send simple messages. And phoenixes can be sent from the grand area where you all started out to any other aerie by passing through the flames. That's the good news. The bad news is it basically feels like being burned alive. You just make it through on the other side. So coming out of your first mission, you step through the flame, going to a distant area. It's extremely painful. There's sort of a moment of blinding, losing consciousness. But you come through, you're gathering your thoughts. There is a woman waiting for you at the distant area. When you emerge, she's wearing the robes of a flame keeper. This is someone who maintains an aerie who has a certain mystical talent for keeping the flame going. And I would like some of you to tell me something about her. I'm gonna start with you. Chapter. How old does this woman appear to be?

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I would say she's probably about 60 years old.

[Player 2 - Kronos]

60?

[Keith Baker]

All right. And Cronus, she's wearing a mask that covers the lower half of her face. This is a Scavi tradition of the northern regions. What is the design of the mask?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

It's kind of like a very stylistic looking, smirking mouth.

[Keith Baker]

Okay. Does it feel mocking or just sort of stylized?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

I would say more enticing.

[Keith Baker]

Okay. All right.

[Player 3 - Pele]

Mysterious.

[Keith Baker]

Finally, Pele, just something catches your attention about her. Some unusual detail that could either be something physical, it could be a piece of jewelry she has, or something about her robe. Just something catches your eye. What is it?

[Player 3 - Pele]

There might be something shiny hidden underneath her sleeve, but I can't really make out what it is.

[Keith Baker]

And one more just interesting thing you notice about her.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Most of the flame Peeper robes have red flames, and this actually has a yellow flame around the red.

[Keith Baker]

Okay. She bows to you formally and says, I am Flame Keeper Eshal, and I welcome you to Cloudspire Aerie. I know that we are out of the way the distant reaches of Scavia, but there is a situation here that concerns me, and I would feel better if you would investigate it.

[Jason Charles Miller]

What is It.

[Keith Baker]

What do you know about the Cloud Spire?

[Jason Charles Miller]

I know nothing of the Cloud Spire.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

Few do.

[Keith Baker]

It is an ancient monolith, or older than human civilization, a mile into the sky, made of some material we don't know. Doesn't seem to do anything. Then a week ago, a group of Imperial researchers came here doing something. I don't know, they've explosives. They blew a passage, discovered something underneath it. And now just pause, listen for a moment. Just listen. And as you do, you notice a few things. There is this sort of humming just all around. Just sort of a vibration that is sort of running through your nerves. You feel a chill in the air. You aren't quite as affected by temperature as Phoenix is. But this is sort of sharper. It's not quite natural. Chapter. You in particular do hear just voices, just whispering at the very back of your thoughts. You didn't really notice it till now. You can't quite hear what they're saying, but it's definitely a sort of presence that now you've noticed it, you can't stop. I don't know why that's happening. I don't know what it is or what these people have found. But I'd like you to find out what they're doing down there. They may not be bad people, but I just want to know. And that's when you hear the explosion. The ground sort of shakes just a little bit on the aerie. Then you start hearing screaming. Most of you have enough experience to know what battle sounds like. What do you want to do?

[Player 2 - Kronos]

Well, we got to take care of this.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Let's run.

[Player 3 - Pele]

We got to get in there.

[Keith Baker]

All right. This is a very small building. You can see the gate. You run to the gate, throw open the doors, and almost stumble off the edge the of. Of a cliff. It's dark. It's at night. You are standing on a high cliff. Out before you, you see the Cloud spire, this massive monolith just rising into the sky. Down at the base, you see flames. Some sort of campfire. People moving around, screaming and crying. It's hard to make out details this far away because it is the middle of the night right now. You have a choice. You can just leap down the side of the cliff and just try and get there as quickly as possible. Or you can try and take the winding path that will take you along the cliff's edge in the dark. But it will take time. And in that time, people are dying. What are you gonna do?

[Player 3 - Pele]

I will leap.

[Keith Baker]

Leap. Gotta leap. Leap. Do I have a rope?

[Podcast Sponsor Host 3]

No.

[Keith Baker]

Well, Then I came running at that.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

I leap and I aim for Pyre's back.

[Keith Baker]

All right, so you leap off the cliff's edge, tumbling down into the darkness towards the signs of battle. And that's where we're gonna stop. And if you want to find out what happens, join us on the next starter kit.

[Jason Charles Miller]

Next time on Starter kit.

[Player 3 - Pele]

I want to land gracefully, but I don't think I have enough grace to do so.

[Player 1 - Chapter]

Not today.

[Jason Charles Miller]

I'm just doing a full belly flop.

[Keith Baker]

There's a big hole in the ground. It's too late to help him. A little levity with the situation, everybody.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, the Regency era. You might know it as the time when Bridgerton takes place or the time when Jane Austen wrote her books, but the Regency era was also an explosive time of social change, sex scandals, and maybe the worst king in British history. And on the Vulgar History podcast, we're going to be looking, looking at the balls, the gowns, and all the scandal of the Regency era. Vulgar History is a women's history podcast, and our Regency era series will be focusing on the most rebellious women of this time. That includes Jane Austen herself, who is maybe more radical than you might have thought. We'll also be talking about queer icons like Anne Lister, scientists like Mary Anning and Ada Lovelace, as well as other scandalous actresses, royal mistresses, rebellious princesses, and other lesser known figures who made history happen in England in the Regency era. Listen to Vulgar History wherever you get podcasts.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

Oh, please, not that music. That music gives me nightmares from my childhood.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

Could we get something a little bit lighter? Some lighter music here?

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

Are you a fan of true crime TV shows?

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

And what about Unsolved Mysteries, the show that jump started all of our love of true crime?

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

I'm Ellen Marsh.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

And I'm Joey Taranto.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

And we host I Think Not, a true crime comedy podcast covering some of the wildest stories from your favorite true crime campy TV shows all the way to Unsolved Mysteries, baby.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

You will laugh, you will cry. You'll think about true crime in a whole new way. And you'll also ask yourself, who gave these people mics?

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

New episodes of I Think not are released every Wednesday, with bonus episodes out every Thursday on Patreon.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

And every Monday, you can listen to our true crime rundown where we go over the top true crime headlines of the week.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 4]

So come and join us wherever you listen to your podcasts.

[Podcast Sponsor Host 2]

The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the Darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadowdark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time, and when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s. And man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the Shadow Dark every Thursday night at 8pm Eastern on YouTube.com theglasscannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the Dark.