The Magnus Archives: The Listening Club TTRPG Special – Episode 4

Podcast: The Magnus Archives
Host: Jonathan Sims (Rusty Quill)
Date: January 1, 2026

Episode Overview

This fourth and final installment of "The Listening Club" TTRPG Special plunges the cast of The Magnus Archives into the climax of a playful yet chilling tabletop adventure, set in a world that both lampoons and honors the horror podcast format. The group, playing themselves as fictionalized characters, confronts the horrifying secrets behind a rival podcast studio, culminating in a surreal boss fight with an eldritch podcast producer. Full of in-jokes, horror tropes, and character-driven antics, the session balances suspense, humor, and meta-commentary about fiction podcasting.

Main Characters (Players & PCs)

• Jonathan Sims (Host / GM): Games master and architect of chaos.
• Anusha (she/her): Playing Margot, enigmatic and fastidious.
• Ian Hales (he/him): Playing Alphonse Platt, notably stressed.
• Lowry (she/her): Playing Elodie Jones, the resolute and sometimes overwhelmed participant.
• Pip: Playing Barry Knapp, the hearty, immortal bouncer.
• Kareem: Present in chat, provides commentary and brief asides.

Key Discussion Points & Adventure Highlights

1. Recap and Immediate Danger (02:02–05:00)

• Lowry gives a tongue-in-cheek brief on previous events:
  • The group is looking for their missing friend June in her flat.
  • They’re drawn to a mysterious podcast producer’s office ("Moldy Pencil" instead of "Rusty Towers").
  • Trapped inside with no cell signal, they find a chilling scene of mannequins, blood, and dismembered heads.

Lowry (03:58): "We find an address that we've never seen listed before for… Moldy Pencil, the company who produce Armitage Library. And you know, we've done what any reasonable person would… we've gone there."

2. Locked Doors, Split Parties & Mannequin Horror (05:00–08:10)

• The team debates how to escape:
  • Barry (Pip) kicks in a door, interrupting something lurking in the adjacent recording studio.
  • Margot (Anusha), initially ready to use her lockpicking kit, opts to observe Barry’s brute force for amusement.

Anusha (06:16): "Margot reaches into her massive tote bag to go for her lock picking kit, sees what's going on, and gradually lowers it back into the bag. Because this is far more entertaining."

3. The Monster Revealed: Arthur Jean Ethel (07:25–09:00)

• The monstrous host/producer, Arthur Jean Ethel, emerges from the studio, disturbingly friendly at first, but soon letting his tongue unspool and lash about.
• He feeds on listeners' fear and brains via their ears—a grotesque meta-joke about horror podcasts.

Jonathan Sims (08:27): "As he is talking, his tongue starts to unspool and lengthen and sort of snake… Always good to meet people who support us through listening, through subscribing, having their fear drained out their ears."

4. Desperate Attempts & Comic Strategies (09:00–13:00)

• Alphonse (Ian) whiffs a throw using a mannequin head as a projectile.
• Margot (Anusha) uses her ever-handy deck of playing cards to inflict actual paper cuts on the monster’s tongue, judged by random card draws.
• The group splits, with Barry and Elodie attempting to escape downstairs via brute force and a search for alternative exits.

Anusha (11:01): "Can Margot take out a pack of cards that she always carries with her? And I want to try and give this tongue as many little paper cuts as I can get away with."

5. Horrible Revelations & Garage of Death (13:12–14:46)

• Elodie discovers a garage stacked with bodies—victims wearing podcast merchandise notably mutilated, their brain matter "schlorped" out.
• The group has to process the reality of their missing friend June’s fate.

Jonathan Sims (14:00): "Where you'd expect there to be vehicles, there is instead a pile of bodies of people, mostly, wearing, like, Armitage library merchandise, all of which have mangled ears, as though something has, like, gone in and, like, schlorped out their brains."

6. Showdown in the Studio (16:00–26:30)

• Alphonse attempts to sneak past Arthur to reach June but confirms her grim death.
• Margot and Barry attempt knife attacks and protective shoves, with Barry acting as Margot’s protector.
• Alphonse, using deductive skills and a bit of in-game luck, triggers a feedback loop with a "special" microphone and monitor speaker, escalating the tension dramatically.

Ian Hales (23:50): "I'm wondering if I should try and provoke a feedback loop... In fact. Yeah, that's what I'm going to do."

• The feedback damages everyone in the room (players must decide how much stress they’ll risk).
• In the chaos, Barry manages to physically grab and pull out Arthur's unholy tongue, causing the monster to dissolve into what is described as "liquid noise."

Jonathan Sims (26:34): "Arthur says, 'thanks for listening and see you next time,' and you pull it out and he just sort of pops in like a gooey, viscous collection of... liquid noise."

7. Aftermath & Epilogue (27:17–28:08)

• The survivors are deafened but alive; Elodie escapes and calls the police.
• In-game, the horror is rationalized away as a serial killer.
• The cast muses about starting their own podcast with the discovered minidiscs, playfully dubbing it "The Barry Archives" — a cheeky nod to fandom and meta-humor.

Pip (27:47): "If we're headcanning this, Elodie still has all those minidiscs, so we can just release our own version... the super graphic real stories, right? The Barry Archives."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jonathan Sims (08:27): "Having their fear drained out their ears."
• Anusha (11:01): "Give this tongue as many little paper cuts as I can get away with."
• Lowry (14:59): "Elodie is going to throw up."
• Ian Hales (23:50): "Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. We'll try and provoke a feedback loop."
• Jonathan Sims (26:34): "'Thanks for listening and see you next time,' and you pull it out and he just sort of pops in like a gooey, viscous collection of like... liquid noise."
• Pip (27:47): "If we're headcanning this, Elodie still has all those minidiscs, so we can just release our own version. The Barry Archives."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Previous Events Recap: 03:00–04:00
• Discovery of the Mannequin Room: 05:00–06:00
• Arthur Jean Ethel’s Entrance: 07:25–08:15
• First Combat – Mannequins, Heads, Paper Cuts: 09:00–12:30
• Garage of Death Discovery: 13:56–14:46
• June’s Fate Revealed: 16:31–16:41
• Initiating the Feedback Loop: 23:50–25:00
• Monster Defeated: 26:34–27:17
• Postscript: Podcast Cancelled, New Podcast Jokes: 27:47–28:08

Tone and Style

The tone is a playful blend of horror and banter, characteristic of a TTRPG session between longtime friends who are deeply familiar with the podcasting and horror landscapes. Jokes about podcast production, audience engagement, and the Rusty Quill’s own meta-context abound.

Conclusion

The finale of "The Listening Club" adventure delivers on its promise: a tightly executed horror-comedy scenario packed with memorable moments, teamwork, and fourth-wall-breaking gags. It also slyly comments on the nature of storytelling in horror podcasting—literally feeding on the fears of listeners. While the monstrous mysteries resolve, the real treat is the interplay between cast and characters as they survive, joke, and plot the next fan-favorite podcast within a podcast.

End Note from Jonathan Sims (28:08):

"We all have a lot of fun here, but Rusty Quill is actually really cool and does not endorse shoving your tongue in anyone's ears to drink their fear in their brain. That's not something Rusty Quill has ever done, will ever do. And this is just me making fun of my friends. Thank you all for listening. Bye bye."

For listeners/fans:
This episode is a must-listen (or read) for fans who revel in meta-humor, the horror genre, and TTRPG shenanigans—especially those who enjoy behind-the-mic jokes and community in-jokes!