All Episodes — Eidolon Playtest

S4 Ep 1Eidolon EDM #4: Eternal September, Part 2

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<html><blockquote>xXx[FinDom]xXx wrote (3:26a LST):lmao"stereotypical"? is this the very first fictional story you've ever seen? has your previous experience with entertainment been banging two rocks together? guys like john deere are the fucking background radiation of the whole genre. they're always gonna be there, so you just have to write around them. kia soul isn't the lead of the show because, unfortunately, showbiz isn't a meritocracy. if it was and we lived in a just and righteous universe, subaru outback would've won best actress for her performance in "bound 2: re/bound," but we're in worst timeline.but i guess that's how you like it, isn't it? i mean, there's no way someone like you would ever have made it as far as you did in eidolon corp if you were actually expected be good at your job instead of shitting up this thread on the company laptop.since you apparently don't like to do things in private, i assume you won't mind me showing everyone who the corporate stooge behind the screenname actually is.[Attachment: booktok_profile.jpg]: )</blockquote>CREDITS: Zoe Tunnell as Genevieve St. Cloud and Genevieve The Cloud Crystal Zaslavchik as Leila Marino Tyberius Wilson as Bridgerton Larch Iris Christianson as Trace Vector Luke Varner as The GM Additional Voices by Molly Rhinebeck and Fabby GarzaMUSIC BY MAX KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY CRYSTAL ZASLAVCHIKCONTENT WARNING: This episode features mind control and lethal violence.</html>

Mar 24, 20251h 21m

[PREVIEW] Eidolon VGM #4 GM Notes

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<html>We'll start with MAID being unhappy with Anna's outburst in episode 1 when she played her dissonant card. It was a display of genuine humanity which is, of course, unacceptable. Assuming Anna is unable to provide satisfactory answers about her behavior, it will lead MAID to siccing one of her coworkers on her to test her loyalty.First off: I'm bringing back Sandworm Arpeggio because the EDM crew killed him off before I got to do even half of the dumb Columbo bits I wanted to. He'll show up to bother LE in her office for a bit and clue her in that Genevieve St. Cloud is tied up with the Glitch Mob, before things are interrupted by a disruption at the LUNA-1 solar farm, where the fight we worked out on EDM will play out:MONGREL MYXOLIDIAN &amp; CAR CRASH EIDOLONS: CARRY THE SUN &amp; GO LIGHT CRASH 0: Mongrel's CARRY THE SUN is a renaming of RAY OF SOLAR and works the same way, allowing him to inflict sunburns from a distance with his knife, but it's superpowered by GO LIGHT'S ability to channel solar power, turning it into a full-on sniper rifle; Mongrel and Car Crash need to be separate or Mongrel needs to be disarmed. CRASH 1: GO LIGHT can funnel solar energy into any target, and when that energy can't be diverted away through Mongrel's Eidolon this leads to intense burning. Car Crash will start burning people up while Mongrel continues to attack them; one or the other of them must be defeated. CRASH 2: Whichever member of the pair is still standing is emboldened by the other one going down and attacks even more viciously; they too must be defeated. CRASH 3: Defeat.This fight ended up only really going through Crash 0. Mike went so hard and drew so well on obliterating Mongrel remotely that it felt more truthful that it would just demoralize Car Crash instead of pushing him to fight harder, which worked because the episode was running long anyway.We also had to deal with a third encounter in the form of:TESS/THETA EIDOLON: TEMPTATION CRASH 0: Theta is uneasy about fighting a fellow MAID and will hold back on using her Eidolon, opting instead for basic hand-to-hand combat. She has been contracted by the Glitch Mob to help them on this mission, but her primary goal is to fight Anna as punishment for her insubordination; Theta must be pushed hard enough that she starts using her Eidolon. CRASH 1: Theta begins doing her klutzy anime girl schtick to transform failures into ordnance; she must either be defeated or convinced to stop her assault. CRASH 2: Defeat.This fight also ended up getting cut a little short, with Theta not really getting the opportunity to flaunt her powers. The scenes ended up being serious enough that pivoting to her comedy anime girl schtick felt awkward, and again, this was a very stuffed episode with a lot of plates to keep spinning, so it was something that sort of fell by the wayside.Theta shows up here because of Maxie and Fabby's Live it Up in the previous episode, but like a dope I completely forgot that they actually played a positive card for that encounter, which meant that Theta should have shown up as an ally to help them. We're not out of Uptime yet so there's time to pivot, and I mean, given how this episode ends, maybe she DID help Anna in an indirect way...?</html>

Mar 22, 20251 min

Ep 58[PREVIEW] Design Session #58: The Collection

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<html>This month, Luke and Molly whine that they don't make more money off of this show for a while, tease the project coming after Worst Self is done and dusted, and then get to work fleshing out The Collection! Luke also threw some spare time into getting Conspirator Moves down on paper because the sooner we finish this, the sooner we get to start working on DSG!</html>

Mar 18, 20255 min

Ep 39[PREVIEW] Eidolon Playlist #39: The Urge

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<html>This month, Mike gets down together with Crystal and Iris to discuss our second band from the Titan AE soundtrack, St. Louis local alt-rock band The Urge!<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgWRiDfesKRtUzC0ZuzLZt_HgBxx51ysK" target="_blank">YouTube link to the playlist</a></html>

Mar 18, 20255 min

S4 Ep 3Eidolon VGM #4: Carry the Sun

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<html><blockquote>Private message from Heartbreaker2196 to xXx[FinDom]xXx (3:01a LST): The only thing you've done by debating me in ~full view~ of the rest of the tread is proven time and time again that if a """pretty""" girl bats her eyelashes at another girl once or twice you won't stop talking about it for MONTHS. I can and will continue to post anything and everything I feel like posting, and I think I'm well within my rights to critisize! Why don't I lay it out for you this way: Your little crush is simplistic, stereotypical, and doesn't deserve to breathe the same recycled oxygen that John Deere does. Tell me, if she's objectively better, why isn't she the lead on this show? Hm? Heartbreaker2196 wrote (3:16a LST): [Attachment: DMFromxXx[FinDom]xXx.png] I'm bringing this back to the thread, since I don't like to do things like this in private. If any of you Starelia freaks want to defend your "best girl," please do! Plus, I think John looked really good in those hot pocket commercials. His abs were incredible.</blockquote>CREDITS: Fabby Garza as Alpha AKA Anna Max Knightley as Lavender Spadeheart and Flip.exe Mike Painter as Hercule Heavensward Molly Rhinebeck as L.E. Booktok Lexi Waltner as Marci Campbell Luke Varner as The GM MUSIC BY MAX KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MIKE PAINTERThis episode may have some audio glitches due to technical difficulties. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains gun violence, knife violence, and mind control.<a href="https://reveal-your-master-plan.itch.io/eidolon2e" target="_blank">Buy our book!</a></html>

Mar 17, 20251h 43m

S4 Ep 3Eidolon EDM #3: Eternal September, Part 1

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<html><blockquote>Private message from xXx[FinDom]xXx to Heartbreaker2196 (2:40a LST):both to preserve the ideals of free speech on this forum and in the vain hope that you and the rest of your clique might one day develop a modicum of media literacy, i have consistently chosen to debate you in full view of the rest of thread's participants. however, that shit you said about Kia Soul in your last post went way too far. if you want to be wrong about Starelia then fine, go for it. if loving a ship that's the literary equivalent of a soylent cube makes you happy, who am i to tell you to seek out something more exciting and emotionally complex. but you do not insult Aurelia's actress. she has fewer lines compared to the other major characters because the writers and directors know she's actually capable of using body language and tone of voice to show instead of tell. she has subtlety and range. she's done stageplays. she is quite simply objectively better at her job than anyone else.you know what John Deere was doing before he got the role for Rembrandt?"starring" in commercials for hot pockets where they recorded slow-mo footage of a microwave being shot with an anti-materiel rifle. he wasn't even firing the rifle. he just said "whoa" a lot.i'll expect your apology and correction in the thread shortly.</blockquote>CREDITS: Iris Christianson as Trace Vector Tyberius Wilson as Bridgerton Larch Crystal Zaslavchik as Leila Marino Zoe Tunnell as Genevieves St. Cloud Luke Varner as The GM Additional Voices by Fabby Garza, Molly Rhinebeck, Lexi Waltner, and Mike PainterMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNERCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of animal cruelty and gender dysphoria, as well as depictions of existential horror, unethical therapeutic treatment, and toxic sexual dynamics.</html>

Mar 10, 20251h 46m

S3 Ep 4Eidolon VGM #3: Serenity

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<html><blockquote>Heartbreaker2196 wrote (2:28a LST): Every single day you keep logging on to these forums making these stupid posts. Tool-moded? What the hell do you think you're posting from, moron? Just because you're a dolphin scalie(? What the hell do they even call this I don't think dophins have scales??) doesn't mean you're suddenly excluded from the group! But either way? I'm glad you recognize me as the royalty I so obviously am! Anyway, for the rest of you civilized users: I'm glad most of you recognize that Aurelia is obviously a bad influence on anyone she comes into contact with. She's brash, she's foolish, and she's never willing to leave good enough alone. Her ideals are stupid and anyone who likes her is a M O R O N. As far as I'm concerned, she should be written off the show permanently for the good of the rest of the cast. Kia Soul isn't even a good actress.</blockquote>CREDITS: Mike Painter as Hercule Heavensward Molly Rhinebeck as L.E. Booktok Lexi Waltner as Marci Campbell Fabby Garza as Alpha AKA Anna Max Knightley as Lavender Spadeheart and Flip.exe Luke Varner as The GMMUSIC BY MAX KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNERCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains allusions to dubiously consensual sex work.</html>

Mar 3, 20251h 33m

[PREVIEW] Eidolon Playlist #38: An Entrée Into EDM

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<html>Just under the wire, we're back with another month's episode of Eidolon Playlist! This month, we sit down to talk about some music from the namesakes of the EDM cast of freaks!<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLACFgvu0w8pdK_aD7cTYqrg1axrK5N9Xh" target="_blank">YouTube link to the playlist</a></html>

Feb 28, 20255 min

[PREVIEW] Eidolon EDM #2 GM Notes

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<html>This week’s episode is brought to you by Flushr. Ever lose a job because you couldn’t find an apartment within thirty miles that still had working indoor plumbing? With Flushr, that’s a thing of the past. Install one of our patented chemical toilets, and for just 79.99.99 a month a certified technician will clean and empty it weekly. And, thanks to over a dozen court orders in 59 different jurisdictions, you can sleep sound knowing that your human waste isn’t being used for sex stuff without your consent. So what are you waiting for? Free yourself from the restraints of unnecessary luxury and live the liberated, fast-paced, high-octane lifestyle you always wanted to. Flushr. Call today? (Not available in Megacities 1, 4, 6, or any with prime-numbered designations for class action lawsuit information please visit flushr.flushr square root sign zip code Flushr waives all responsibilities except those enforced upon it by court order)I have been referred to as a terrorist. What an absolutely pointless word. If you really press someone on what it means, it’s just a person they dislike using methods they don’t approve of. If they liked my goals then I’d be a hero who’s willing to make the difficult decisions. If they approved of my methods then I’d be a respectable opponent, and more importantly, I wouldn’t get very much done; people rarely respect an opponent’s methods if those methods are successful.But yes, I won’t deny it. I’ve killed, and I’ve ordered others to kill. I’ve stolen, I’ve beaten, I’ve hacked, I’ve committed dreaded “political violence.” And I will gladly do it all again, because I am fighting a just war against the parasites that seek to smother us. Parasites who will never be as honest with you as I’m being now.Consider: if I pull out a gun and shoot a man in the heart, I am a murderer. But suppose instead I simply deprive that man of clean water. I sell the fresh rainwater he lives off of to a corporation and let him drink what’s left, runoff poisoned by the mining operations of that same corporation. And I make grand overtures about how something must be done about the poor man’s drinking water, I deliver speech after speech showing my respect and sorrow for this man. I run for public office and win on the promise that I will solve this man’s problem, reducing him in the public eye from a human being to a talking point, a symbol of my noblesse oblige. Ah but even after I’m elected it’s just too hard to do anything, there are far too many difficult political realities that preclude me from saving the man, the one who, you’ll remember, I endangered in the first place. In a decade or two his unclean drinking water leads to health problems and he dies. And not just him, but his family, his neighborhood. And all the while I roll in the money and power his story has granted me like a pig in shit.If you ask me, that’s a much more heinous crime than simply shooting someone. But we don’t talk about it that way, do we? Many would question whether I’ve done anything wrong at all, and while many more might have ethical quibbles with my behavior, they wouldn’t bray for my blood the way they do for a humble shooter. The rules as they’re written are quite clear: mass slaughter is perfectly acceptable, encouraged, even, so long as you do it over a long enough time, and keep a smile on your face all the while.So forgive me if I don’t care very much when the writers and enforcers of those rules call me a terrorist._______________________In the lead-up to recording the episode, I decided to pivot a little off of what the VGM team gave me. I got hit with the idea that it would be very funny to have a cop that was just Columbo, in part because it was funny to me to imagine Columbo at a rave. Instead of just making HYPERPARASITE HYPE TRAIN about making people party, I decided to make it more about “having a good time,” and the effects would sort of escalate off of the general stress and tension of being interrogated by Columbo. After all, making a culprit sweat is the most fun thing in the world for Columbo.The episode will take place at a bar that Mongrel Myxolidian takes everyone to, to allow for some hangouts and pseudo-downtime; we didn’t establish initial ties for EDM, so this will be a good opportunity to do so before they are interrupted by Detective Sandworm Arpeggio, who’s investigating the electrical fire at the Starscape Resort.DETECTIVE SANDWORM ARPEGGIO &amp; HYPERPARASITE HYPE TRAINCRASH 0: Arpeggio will casually implicate the crew in the crimes he’s been investigating; the team will need to establish their innocence.CRASH 1: HHT will kick in, gradually making them sweat and hyperventilate. Arpeggio will play it off as them being

Feb 27, 20250 min

[PREVIEW] Petty Felonies #3: Little Black Box

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<html>We're back with more Fiasco! This time, Mike, Maxie, Molly and Fabby sit down with a wacky new invention that fucks everything up!</html>

Feb 26, 20255 min

S4 Ep 2Eidolon EDM #2: Hyperparasite Hype Train

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<html><blockquote>xXx[FinDom]xXx wrote (02:19a LST): oh wow what a surprise that this board's queen of comphet would think starcadia's argument held any fucking water. "but the solar empire has been safeguarding that star system for centuries!" says the dumbass who apparently doesn't know what refugees are. this shit is why no one likes humanity. you can't even fucking stand being around each other! bunch of apes have their dna take a wrong turn and become tool-moded land-cucks who make up nonsense words like "de jure" to dress up their insatiable bloodlust. fucking evolutionary dead-end is what you are. it's a shame Aurelia's attempts to assassinate rembrandt in the first season didn't work. mark my words, she's gonna return in an episode or two to commit even worse atrocities against the crown. it'll be so funny.</blockquote>CREDITS: Zoe Tunnell as Genevieve St. Cloud Tyberius Wilson as Bridgerton Larch Iris Christianson as Trace Vector Crystal Zaslavchik as Leila Marino Luke Varner as The GMMUSIC BY MAX KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY CRYSTAL ZASLAVCHIKCONTENT WARNING: This episode depicts bloody violence, drug overdose, a heart attack, and existential horror.<a href="https://reveal-your-master-plan.itch.io/eidolon2e" target="_blank">Buy our book!</a></html>

Feb 24, 20251h 26m

Ep 57[PREVIEW] Design Session #57: Worst Self Mailbag, Part 2

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<html>We're back this month to answer more of your emails! And also to admit partial defeat vis-a-vis The Conspiracy!</html>

Feb 21, 20255 min

S4 Ep 2Eidolon VGM #2: What They're Looking For

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<html><blockquote>Heartbreaker2196 wrote (01:37a LST): I love Starcadia so much. Now there's a girl who knows what it takes to get out there and GET THINGS DONE. I knew she'd be able to swoop in and prove that Rembrandt's claim to the throne is real. What does it matter if some stupid old elves happened to be in this part of space thousands of years ago anyway. What matters is who is here NOW, not who USED to be here. And huh. No sign of Aurelia anywhere this week, Finny? It must be so difficult rooting for a sinking ship.</blockquote>CREDITS: Mike Painter as Hercule Heavensward Lexi Waltner as Marci Campbell Fabby Garza as Alpha AKA Anna Molly Rhinebeck as L.E. Booktok Max Knightley as Lavender Spadeheart &amp; Flip.exe Luke Varner as The GM Additional Voices by Crystal ZaslavchikMUSIC BY MAX KNIGHTLEYEDITED BY LUKE VARNER AND MOLLY RHINEBECKCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains body horror, mind control, and bloody violence.<a href="https://reveal-your-master-plan.itch.io/eidolon2e" target="_blank">Buy our book!</a></html>

Feb 17, 20251h 32m

[PREVIEW] Eidolon Media Club: Netrunner

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<html>We're doin' a cyberpunk season and that means Luke won't shut the fuck up about his favorite collectible card game! Luckily, Ty has immediately gotten deep into it and ALSO won't shut the fuck up about it! Iris would prefer we shut the fuck up about it and play Magic instead but we're not!check out the Eidolon Netrunner League thread in the eidolon channel at <a href="http://bit.ly/aediscord" target="_blank">bit.ly/aediscord</a> to hang out and play with us!Apologies for Ty's audio quality on this one, technical difficulties that unfortunately weren't discovered until after the episode was recorded.</html>

Feb 17, 20255 min

[PREVIEW] Eidolon EDM #1 GM Notes

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<html>Voiceover by Defrag PandemoniumLUNA-1 has a capacity of 150,000 occupants. Do you know how many people currently live here? 210,000. And the number is rising every day. Have you noticed that our water tastes just a little bit like shit? It’s because the treatment facilities weren’t built to keep up with this much waste. 80 years ago, the oxygen concentration in our artificial atmosphere was on-par with Earth’s at sea-level. Year-over-year, they thin it out a little bit more, because there’s too many of us. If they don’t ration the oxygen we’ll consume it all faster than it can be replenished. Our diets are getting poorer, our public amenities are deteriorating, our living quarters are getting more cramped, alleviated only by the fact that the rich and powerful are gradually abandoning us, leaving their pleasurehouses and six-star resorts and luxury offices free to reclaim as housing. Well, “free.” I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how expensive rent is getting.To the extent that the capitalist model of economics can be said to function at all, it functions on one core axiomatic assumption: that work is plentiful, and labor is proportionately scarce. That there is more work to do than there are hands to do it. And like any scarce resource, those that want it must pay a premium.Even on Earth, within the various megacities that bleed the planet’s resources dry, automation makes labor common. Down there this can be somewhat offset through expansion, through the creation of more work to do, and while the numbers still don’t add up, at least it’s a pressure valve that allows the decline to be slow; the cities will probably be destroyed by wasteland raiders before they reach a true crisis point of labor deflation.But up here? What expansion is possible? Our glorious city is circumscribed; expanding its borders by a single inch is laughably expensive. Our mining operations already produce more Helium-3 than we can use, more than the occasional cargo shuttle can bring to Earth. There’s a finite cap to how much work can be done, and yet the populace keeps growing, keeps consuming more and more resources. Did you know that Eidolon predicts this dome will be uninhabitable within 20 years? That if things continue apace, we’ll suffocate each other simply by living here? You probably don’t know that; they keep things like that secret from us peasants. You could try to escape before then; a shuttle back to earth only costs 1.2 billion credits, after all. Of course that’s before you factor in the immigration costs, if you can find a nation-state down there that isn’t too busy dying its own slow death to naturalize a new citizen. There’s always the option to stow away, if you think you can avoid the Rat Hunters and you’re confident that your bodyweight won’t sabotage the precise fuel calculations that make space travel possible.Or, if food and power expenses have kept you from pinching your pennies, if you don’t like your odds against terrestrial tyrannies or the vacuum of space… well then, my friend, there is one other option available to you.You join me.And you fight._________________________________The dome of LUNA-1 has been soiled over the years. The rim at the ground-floor has been painted with layer after layer of graffiti, and above that the glass has been caked in grime and pollution. The city’s optimized efficiency is an unbelievable feat of engineering even eighty years after its construction, but no system is without waste, and that waste has accumulated layer-by-layer on the surface of the glass hemisphere that guards its inhabitants from the vicious emptiness of the lunar surface. There is budget only to clean the very top of the dome, preserving the awe-inspiring view of the earth for only the city’s elite. For everyone else, their homeworld has been reduced to a brown and blurry smear seen through filthy glass.Under this soiled sky rises the STARSCAPE RESORT, a luxury hotel only a few blocks southeast of the Eidolon building. It might even have a true view of the untainted night sky, if not for the neverending streams of drones flying overhead. Once the single most expensive vacation spot in the known universe, the Starscape Resort was abandoned over 40 years ago, when even those rich and famous desperate for conspicuous displays of wealth could no longer justify the cost of spending their holiday on the moon. On Earth, it would’ve been demolished decades ago. Up here, that option is simply too expensive; importing the raw materials for the building cost over 10 trillion lunar credits in today’s money, and recycling them wasn’t feasible. Moreover, the city’s air filters wouldn’t be able to compensate for the amoun

Feb 14, 20250 min

S4 Ep 1Eidolon EDM #1: Tension Rising

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<html><blockquote>xXx[FinDom]xXx wrote (5:34a LST): once again i find myself enjoying an episode for entirely different reasons than most, because i am burdened to be one of the few who knows what subtext is. yeah, sure, your boy got his kiss. but here's the thing: for a genre that's usually notorious for dragging out the will-they-won't-they until the heat death of the universe, Courtship sure is pushing rembrandt really hard, huh? almost like it wants you to think that's what's "supposed" to happen, which is the same opinion held by Starcadia's parents? Aurelia's glance wasn't just generically "meaningful," it was asking Star a question: is this what you want? it clearly points to Starelia being endgame. rembrandt is just a pit stop along the way. also, goddammit, why is it always elves? "my unique and mysterious alien race looks exactly like if we put some modeling putty on a human's ear." wow how exciting i'm so intrigued. i bet they're gonna really strain the budget two episodes from now when we meet a new alien who's got nose ridges or some shit</blockquote>CREDITS: Iris Christianson as Trace Vector Tyberius Wilson as Bridgerton Larch Zoe Tunnell as Genevieve St. Cloud Crystal Zaslavchik as Leila Marino, Lietunant of Mare Cognitum Luke Varner as The GM Additional Voices by Max KnightleyMUSIC BY MAX KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNERCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains knife violence and body horror.<a href="http://patreon.com/smallerluketheory" target="_blank">Buy our book!</a></html>

Feb 10, 20251h 32m

[PREVIEW] Eidolon VGM #1 GM Notes

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<html>CommercialAs a mother of three, I take my duty to raise the next generation of New Indianapolis citizens seriously. When I’m not hovering them to soccer practice or monitoring their brainlink activity, I’m thinking about what I’m putting into their bodies. And no, I don’t mean cybernetics!That’s why I trust Babel Brooks bottled water, from Eidolon. Recent studies show that it sports up to 70% fewer mutagens and heavy metals than NI municipal tapwater! It’s the same pure, clear water Eidolon uses to cool its server farms, and it’s available now at your local grocer! At first I was skeptical; as a loyal citizen of the eternal provisional government, I of course distrust anything from outside of the greater polity. But Eidolon has my back: Babel Brooks comes directly from the White River, the same water source used by Indianapolis prior to the Dark Decade! So you’re not just drinking refreshment, you’re drinking history! Thanks Babel Brook! And thanks, Eidolon!InterviewNarrator: Eidolon is proud to present a new holoseries, Talks with Horace Babylon. Our interviewers were granted an unmanaged 24 hours of time to speak with the world’s greatest scientific and business mind in his stately LUNA-1 office. Selected clips will be made available every week, or the entire interview series can be enjoyed now through Eidolon Premium. Speak with your local currency office to determine the appropriate subscription price.Horace: You know, when my father, Isaiah Babylon, when he first founded Eidolon, we were, were in a very dark place, as, as, as a species. The sense of hope and optimism that we had in the 2020s was a distant memory by the 2080s. Water was becoming scarce, major hubs of Western civilization and, and, of course other… other civilization, it was desertifying, faster than many of even the less skeptical climate forecasts. There were, riots, food shortages, disease, it, it was, you know, by all accounts looking back it was a very bleak time in human history. And the, and the normal reaction, to that sort of environment, the normal reaction is despair, right? It was a very common, very prevailing sort of outlook at the time, and you even frequently see it now, you see it in all these discussions about, about water rights, and which American government, which, you know, local polity has the, is the true successor to the United States, and all these things. Mineral rights, fuel, there’s always this intense sense of panic. And, but, what you need, what has been proven time and time again when you look at history, and my father demonstrated this very directly, what you need in these moments is optimism. It is not a time to cut your losses, it’s not a time to lower your standards. No, no, you raise them. You shoot the moon, literally.And, you know, even, even he had to be reminded of that lesson at times. I remember being, you know being a very young boy, when the initial plans for LUNA-1 were being drawn up, and it was this very utilitarian design, you know. Very… if you’ve ever seen pictures of those old 20th century space shuttles and satellites and space stations, it was very much in line with that. Small, only supporting say, a few dozen people at most, essentially just a building. And I remember, I couldn’t have been more than what, than 12 at the time, but I remember saying to him dad, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong. That’s not what you’ve taught me. Eidolon is about going big, humanity is about going big. And I drew him a picture, you know, a whole little city in a bubble, like a snowglobe, and, bless him, you know, I think I really told him exactly what he needed to hear in that moment because he took those sketches, you know the weren’t bad but they didn’t have the technical specifications, they were just mock-ups, but he took them to his engineers and, by God, he, he made a city. And 80 years later, here we are.Opening NarrationTHE YEAR IS 2222, THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF LUNA-1. Originally conceived as the world’s first permanent lunar station, a massive collaborative undertaking by a union of world governments in the 22nd century, the already ambitious project was vastly expanded when EIDOLON, the world’s largest technology corporation, signed on as a major financial backer. EIDOLON’s founder, Isaac Babylon, reimagined the project as not merely a research outpost, but a city, the first proper human settlement created offworld. It was to be located on the dark side of the moon, where it would be a center of research into space travel, becoming a launching point for humans to colonize the

Feb 4, 20250 min

S4 Ep 1Eidolon VGM #1: I Could Be Anything

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<html><blockquote>Heartbreaker2196 wrote (03:52a LST):GREAT episode of The Courtship this week for TRUE BELIEVERS in REAL ROMANCE. It's so obvious that Starcadia and Rembrandt are made for each other! I don't know why anyone even brings up Aurelia anymore. So WHAT if they shared another “meaningful glance” at each other! I don't care that it happened right as Remby went in to kiss her! As you can see on the scoreboard, Aurelia has been kissed zero times. Let's keep track of that as the season goes on. Anyway, what did everyone think about this new kingdom of space-faring elves that just showed up? I wouldn't be surprised if that Thorniforous gentleman tries to work his way between Stari and Remby… Not that it will matter!</blockquote>CREDITS:Molly Rhinebeck as L.E. Booktok Maxie Knightley as Lavender Spadeheart and Flip.exe Lexi Waltner as Marci Campbell Fabby Garza as Alpha AKA Anna Mike Painter as Hercule Heavensward Luke Varner as The GM Additional Voices by Tyberius Wilson and Crystal ZaslavchikMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNERCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains mind control and gun violence.<a href="https://reveal-your-master-plan.itch.io/eidolon2e" target="_blank">Buy our book!</a></html>

Feb 3, 20251h 56m

S1 Ep 56[PREVIEW] Design Session #56: Worst Self Mailbag, Part 1

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<html>We've been letting our email inbox pile up for months now, so it's time to finally clean it out!... mostly! You all (griefninja) sent in so We've been letting our email inbox pile up for months now, so it's time to finally clean it out!... mostly! You all (griefninja) sent in so many emails that we couldn't get to them all in one recording session! Look out for a follow-up next week where we get to the remaining questions!We tease, but we do appreciate all the feedback and enthusiasm! Feel free to keep sending emails to <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>.... but maybe give us a week or two to catch our breath first :p</html>

Jan 31, 20255 min

Eidolon EDM #0: Character Creation

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<html>This week, the second half of Eidolon Playtest sits down to create their characters! Why is everyone so horny?? And boy, is The Conspiracy a remotely good idea? The answers to these questions may or may not be answered in the season to come!<a href="https://reveal-your-master-plan.itch.io/eidolon2e" target="_blank">Buy Eidolon 2E here!</a></html>

Jan 27, 20251h 22m

Eidolon VGM #0: Character Creation

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<html>WELCOME TO EIDOLON PLAYTEST SEASON 4!The cast of Eidolon VGM—Molly, Lexi, Fabby, Mike, and Maxie—sit down with Luke to build their characters and establish some baseline worldbuilding about LUNA-1, the first city on the moon! Kinda seems like it sucks up there tbh!<a href="https://reveal-your-master-plan.itch.io/eidolon2e" target="_blank">Buy EIDOLON 2E here!</a></html>

Jan 20, 20251h 35m

Eidolon Playlist Sample - Weezer

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<html>We're off for one more week, so please enjoy this free release of a Patreon bonus episode covering (dumping on) the musical stylings of Weezer! If you like what you hear, consider subscribing or upgrading in order to hear more fun bonus podcasts!</html>

Jan 13, 20252h 39m

GRAB BAG RELEASE - In the Mouth of Madness

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<html>This episode was originally released as a bonus episode on our $10 Grab-Bag tier on Patreon! If you enjoy this, consider subscribing or upgrading to hear more great bonus stuff like it!Also, <a href="https://reveal-your-master-plan.itch.io/eidolon2e" target="_blank">buy our game</a>!</html>

Jan 6, 20251h 51m

[PREVIEW] 150 Unique Debate Topics That Will Spark Epic Discussions

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<html>I was not aware that this was a thing that was being recorded until Crystal sent me the audio file to upload yesterday.</html>

Dec 30, 20245 min

Eidolon SKA Post-Mortem

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<html>The reflection is not yet complete! The cast of Eidolon SKA sits down to look back on their feelings about another season of Eidolon in the can!</html>

Dec 30, 20241h 59m

Eidolon DISCO Post-Mortem

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<html>We've reached the end of yet another long and winding road! The cast of Eidolon DISCO sits down one last time to reflect on the last two years of the show and to answer your questions!</html>

Dec 23, 20242h 30m

S3 Ep 50Eidolon SKA #50: The World Is New

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<html>I was sitting and waiting Just thinking, contemplating My life when I heard the phone I picked up the receiver And I did not believe her When I heard a voice say you're not alone When I am down and I am blue All I have to do Is close my eyes and think of you And the world is new Oh, life was getting hectic And things were unexpected When I first received your call But now it is the best thing That filled up what was missing And now my life is envied by all When I am down and I am blue All I have to do Is close my eyes and think of you And the world is newCREDITS: Iris Christianson as Haley Holst, RIGHTFUL KING THAT REJECTED HER THRONEMaxie Knightley as Solaris Apogee LVII 4th House, DIPLOMAT TO HUMANITY AND KEEPER OF SACRED LEGENDSMike Painter as Bob McGovern, ROYAL EMISSARY TO THE LAND OF THE DEADZoe Tunnell as Charlie O'Neil, HEIR TO THE USURPER KING AND ROYAL SCRIBETyberius Wilson as Maurice Bailey, SECOND WIZARDCrystal Zaslavchik as Naomi Shirogorov, ABDICATING PRINCELuke Varner as Jordan Rogers, CONQUERING KING AND CONQUERED KINGCrystal Zaslavchik as Jack Bailey, HE'S JACK BAILEYLexi Waltner as Kacey Chambers, ROYAL MAGISTRATEMolly Rhinebeck Regina Rosenthal, SELF-EXILED QUEENFabby Garza as KC Cardenas, CAPTAIN OF THE KNIGHTS AND QUEEN CONSORTCrystal Zaslavchik as Jacob Shirogorov, CORONATED PRISONERTyberius Wilson as Evangeline Bailey, PRINCESS OF THE NEW TOMORROWLuke Varner, Iris Christianson, Fabby Garza, Maxie Knightley, Mike Painter, and Crystal Zaslavchik as The GMsMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEYSEASON 3 EDITING BY LUKE VARNER, MOLLY RHINEBECK, MIKE PAINTER, CRYSTAL ZASLAVCHIK, AND IRIS CHRISTIANSONBASED ON <a href="https://reveal-your-master-plan.itch.io/eidolon2e" target="_blank">EIDOLON: BECOME YOUR BEST SELF, SECOND EDITION</a>, BY LUKE VARNER AND MOLLY RHINEBECKAND THUS, THE FINAL PAGE OF EIDOLON DISCO/EIDOLON SKA HAS BEEN REACHED. THE BOOK HAS NOT BEEN CLOSED, FOR IT HAS NO BACK COVER. WORDS AND SENTENCES, INK AND WOOD PULP, SPIRAL ON INTO INFINITY, STRETCHING EVER FURTHER INTO THE DARKNESS, OBTAINING MEANING THROUGH CONTRAST AGAINST THE ENDLESS VOID, WHICH CANNOT FOR ALL ITS OPPRESSIVE DARK AND COLD ENCROACH UPON THE LIGHT OF OUR CAMPFIRE WE SIT AROUND TO TELL THE STORIES OF OUR LIVES.THE ENDLESS WORDS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE END OF THIS BOOK ARE NOT, HOWEVER, FOR US TO READ. INSTEAD, A NEW NARRATIVE EMERGES FROM THE VOID...</html>

Dec 16, 20241h 45m

S30 Ep 50Eidolon DISCO #50: I Will Survive

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<html>It took all the strength I had not to fall apart Kept tryin' hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart And I spent oh so many nights just feeling sorry for myself I used to cry... but now I hold my head up high! And you see me Somebody new I'm not that chained up little person still in love with you And so you felt like droppin' in and just expect me to be free? Well now I'm saving all my lovin' for someone who's lovin' me! Go on now, go! Walk out the door Just turn around now, 'cause you're not welcome anymore! Weren't you the one who tried to break me with "Goodbye?" Did you think I'd crumble? Did you think I'd lay down and die!? Oh no, not I! I will survive! Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive! I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give, And I'll survive! I WILL SURVIVE!CREDITS: Iris Christianson as Haley Holst Mike Painter as Bob McGovern Fabby Garza as KC Cardenas Tyberius Wilson as Maurice Bailey and ??? Zoe Tunnell as Charlotte "Charlie" O'Neil Molly Rhinebeck as Regina Rosenthal Maxie Knightley as Solaris Apogee LVII 4th House AKA Solo Lexi Waltner as Kacey Chambers Crystal Zaslavchik as Naomi Shirogorov, Jake Shirogorov, and Jack Bailey Jordan Rogers, VOID MOOSE, and Merlin, First Wizard, as The GMs Luke Varner as Jordan Rogers, VOID MOOSE, and Merlin, First Wizard MUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNER CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains existential horror and various depictions of violence.</html>

Dec 9, 20241h 50m

S3 Ep 55[PREVIEW] Design Session #55: Building Some Bastards, Part 4

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<html>Dang, two design sessions in two weeks!For December, we're just here to fill in a few gaps we had left to get Worst Self ready for its first trial run! We just have to come up with some resonant and dissonant effects and one or two more Moves, and yet somehow it took us over an hour!Extremely minor spoilers for the early chapters of Wind and Truth, the newest Stormlight Archives book. Almost certainly not something you'd care about unless you're an extreme die-hard, and if you are I gotta believe you've already read the preview chapters!</html>

Dec 5, 20245 min

S3 Ep 49Eidolon SKA #49: Everyone Else Is an Asshole

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<html>"I tried to forgive, I tried to live and let live, but..."CREDITS:Crystal Zaslavchik as Jake Shirogorov Molly Rhinebeck as Regina Rosenthal Lexi Waltner as Kacey Chambers Zoe Tunnell as Charlotte "Charlie" O'Neil Maxie Knightley as Solaris Apogee LVII 4th House, AKA Solo Jordan Rogers as the GM Luke Varner as Jordan RogersMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MOLLY RHINEBECK AND LUKE VARNERCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains various depictions of violence and body horror.</html>

Dec 2, 20241h 39m

S3 Ep 54[PREVIEW] Design Session #54: Building Some Bastards, Part 3

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<html>We are getting closer and closer to the deadline! This month, Luke and Molly get an initial list of Moves put together for The Sealed Evil aWe are getting closer and closer to the deadline! This month, Luke and Molly get an initial list of Moves put together for The Sealed Evil and The Grifter, who Luke definitely didn't forget about again!We'll be back in about a week for one final round of review, to make sure these books are ready for an initial outing in the season 4 charcater creation eps we're recording next month!</html>

Nov 29, 20245 min

[PREVIEW] Will You Press the Button?

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<html>Crystal, Fabby, Iris, and Maxie ponder a series of dilemmas presented to them by Will You Press the Button? CONTENT WARNING: This episode features discussions of weight and dieting, murder, transphobia, and mind control.</html>

Nov 29, 20245 min

Ep 35[PREVIEW] Eidolon Playlist #35: Keasbey Nights

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<html>Oh god right we have a music show we gotta do in addition to all the finale shit we're working on!It's a double-header this month, Luke, Crystal and Iris sit down to discuss the iconic third wave ska album Keasbey Nights, by Catch-22, as well as the third wave ska album Keasbey Nights, by Streetlight Manifesto!...Hey wait a second!</html>

Nov 27, 20245 min

S3 Ep 49Eidolon DISCO #49: Life During Wartime

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<html>"Heard of a van that's loaded with weapons, packed up and ready to go..."CREDITS: Mike Painter as Bob McGovern Fabby Garza as KC Cardenas Tyberius Wilson as Maurice Bailey Iris Christianson as Haley Holst Jordan Rogers as The GM Luke Varner as Jordan RogersMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MIKE PAINTERCONTENT WARNING: This episode features various forms of violence, including gun violence, knife violence, and vehicular violence.</html>

Nov 25, 20241h 25m

S3 Ep 48Eidolon SKA #48: Are You Sure This Is Cool?, Part 2

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<html>[Instrumental]CREDITS: Molly Rhinebeck as Regina Rosenthal Maxie Knightley as Solaris Apogee LVII, 4th House Lexi Waltner as Kacey Chambers Zoe Tunnell as Charlotte "Charlie" O'Neil Crystal Zaslavchik as Jake Shirogorov Jordan Rogers as The GM Luke Varner as Jordan RogersMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNER AND MOLLY RHINEBECKCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains multiple depictions of suicide and attempted suicide.</html>

Nov 18, 20241h 33m

Eidolon DISCO #48: Contact

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<html>"I don't know whether that does you any good, but there's somethin' out there..."CREDITS: Fabby Garza as KC Cardenas Mike Painter as Bob McGovern Tyberius Wilson as Maurice Bailey Luke Varner as Jordan Rogers Haley Holst as The GM Iris Christianson as Haley HolstMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNERCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains references to suicidality.</html>

Nov 11, 20241h 8m

Eidolon SKA #47: She's Kerosene, Part 3

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<html>"She's an arsonist in her pastime, and I've been burned for the last time."CREDITS: Zoe Tunnell as Charlotte "Charlie" O'Neil Maxie Knightley as Solaris Apogee LVII 4th House AKA Solo Crystal Zaslavchik as Jake Shirogorov Lexi Waltner as Kacey Chambers Molly Rhinebeck as Regina Rosenthal Haley Holst as The GM Iris Christianson as Haley Holst Luke Varner as VOID MOOSEMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNERCONTENT WARNING: This episode features extensive depictions of heavy relationship drama, as well as indirect references to suicidal thoughts.</html>

Nov 4, 20241h 26m

[PREVIEW] Eidolon Media Club - In the Mouth of Madness

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<html>Happy Halloween! Luke convinced a few members of the cast to sit down and watch one of his favorite John Carpenter movies, which also served as a major point of inspiration for Eidolon DISCOSKA! Wouldn't it be fucked up and weird if a media sensation drove an impassable wedge between our collective consensus on the nature of reality, leading to the human race murdering itself????</html>

Oct 31, 20245 min

Eidolon DISCO #47: Somethinggreater, Part 2

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<html>“Until we’re back together, I’ll be alone”CREDITS: Tyberius Wilson as Maurice Bailey Fabby Garza as KC Cardenas Luke Varner as Jordan Rogers Mike Painter as Bob McGovern Haley Holst as The GM Iris Christianson as Haley HolstMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MIKE PAINTERCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains an extended discussion about suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts.</html>

Oct 28, 20241h 24m

[PREVIEW] Design Session #53: Building Some Bastards, Part 2

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<html>This month.... we've been really busy! We only got about two and a half playbooks worked on, instead of the full four we planned!But, however, in our defense: we're fuckin' COOKIN'. Listen to us talk about The Blight, The Sovereign, and a little bit about The Mutant!</html>

Oct 23, 20245 min

[PREVIEW] Eidolon Playlist #34: Boney M

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<html>I don't really know anything about Boney M, other than they're the people that made that there Rasputin song! I never know what to write for these show notes when I wasn't involved in the recording process! Click play along with me so we can all find out about this musical group together!</html>

Oct 22, 20245 min

Eidolon SKA #46: Stupid Horse

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<html>"Why am I never getting lucky?"CREDITS: Lexi Waltner as Kacey Chambers Molly Rhinebeck as Regina Rosenthal Maxie Knightley as Solaris Apogee LVII 4th House AKA Solo Crystal Zaslavchik as Jake Shirogorov Zoe Tunnell as Charlotte "Charlie" O'Neil Haley Holst as The GM Iris Christianson as Haley HolstMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MOLLY RHINEBECK AND LUKE VARNER</html>

Oct 21, 20241h 16m

Eidolon DISCO #46: Somethinggreater

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<html>"Now I'm leaving you for the both of us." CREDITS: Mike Painter as Bob McGovern Tyberius Wilson as Maurice Bailey Luke Varner as Jordan Rogers and VOID MOOSE Fabby Garza as KC Cardenas Haley Holst as The GM Iris Christianson as Haley Holst MUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNER</html>

Oct 15, 20241h 17m

Eidolon SKA #45: Bring It Down

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<html>"So for now I pledge allegiance to the hippies, punks, geeks, and queers."CREDITS:Zoe Tunnell as Charlotte "Charlie" O'Neil Crystal Zaslavchik as Jake Shirogorov Maxie Knightley as Solaris Apogee LVII 4th House AKA Solo Lexi Waltner as Kacey Chambers Molly Rhinebeck as Regina Rosenthal Haley Holst as The GM Iris Christianson as Haley Holst Luke Varner as VOID MOOSEMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MOLLY RHINEBECK AND LUKE VARNER</html>

Oct 7, 20241h 19m

[PREVIEW] Design Session #52: Building Some Bastards, Part 1

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<html>I don't care what the calendar says, September ain't over 'til we post a design session!Now that we've got the basic elevator pitches for our 9 Playbooks, the time has come to start fleshing them out. This month, Molly has started to shape The Devoted and The Collection, while Luke takes on The Gamer and tries to finally get a good foundation for The Conspiracy. It's okay if one Playbook basically makes you play an entire sub-game of Eidolon all by yourself, right?... Right?</html>

Oct 4, 20245 min

Eidolon DISCO #45: Ma Baker, Part 2

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<html>"She didn't care at all, just didn't care at all."CREDITS: Tyberius Wilson as Maurice Bailey Mike Painter as Bob McGovern Luke Varner as Jordan Rogers Iris Christianson as Haley Holst Fabby Garza as KC Cardneas Jake Shirogorov as The GM Crystal Zaslavchik as Jake ShirogorovMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MIKE PAINTERCONTENT WARNING: This episode features very frank discussions of suicide.</html>

Sep 30, 20241h 29m

[PREVIEW] AIMFYtPMC #11: Green Green Grass of Home

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<html>"And I realize, yes, I was only dreaming, for there's a guard and there's a sad, old padre."Y'know I went back and looked and the show notes for the past like 6 episodes of this show all start with some variation of "hello, we're back from break and are gonna be more consistent about uploading this show!" So I'm just gonna drop the pretense :p We're busy folks and coordinating our schedules on top of the normal show is tricky!ANYWAY, these eps blow! Araki loves to kill off a character to heighten the stakes but he picked the wrong one this time!GENERAL CONTENT WARNING: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is often a crass series that incorporates a wide variety of fraught subject matter, and prioritizes using that fraught material for high drama and unconventional action scenes over approaching the subjects with appropriate care or consideration. We'll include more specific content warnings when covering especially rough episodes, but as a baseline, assume that most topics are handled with insufficient levels of sensitivity. Also, JJBA is a show that heavily features bloody violence and body horror.</html>

Sep 28, 20245 min

[PREVIEW] Eidolon Playlist #33: Talking Heads

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<html>It is time once again for Luke to be loud and annoying about one of his all-time favorite bands! I don't know why you're listening to this podcast, when you could be listening to the Stop Making Sense version of this podcast!Make sure to stay tuned to hear Iris' live reaction to seeing David Byrne's big suit for the first time ever!TALKING HEADS PLAYLIST RANKINGS ACCORDING TO US, THE ONLY MUSIC CRITICS WHO MATTER:Life During Wartime Road to Nowhere This Must Be the Place Once in a Lifetime Crosseyed and Painless Houses in Motion Psycho Killer Girlfriend is Better And She Was City of Dreams Wild Wild Life Burning Down the House</html>

Sep 24, 20245 min

Eidolon SKA #44: History of a Boring Town

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<html>"And I used to say that I'd never stay, but I'm rotting here today."CREDITS: Maxie Knightley as Solaris Apogee LVII 4th House AKA Solo Lexi Waltner as Kacey Chambers Zoe Tunnell as Charlotte "Charlie" O'Neil Molly Rhinebeck as Regina Rosenthal Jake Shirogorov as The GM Crystal Zaslavchik as Jake Shirogorv Luke Varner as VOID MOOSE and...MUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MOLLY RHINEBECK AND LUKE VARNER</html>

Sep 23, 20241h 20m

Eidolon DISCO #44: Ma Baker, Part 1

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<html>"She had no heart at all—no, no, no heart at all."CREDITS: Luke Varner as Jordan Rogers and VOID MOOSE Mike Painter as Bob McGovern Tyberius Wilson as Maurice Bailey Iris Christianson as Haley Holst Fabby Garza as KC Cardenas Jake Shirogorov as The GM Crystal Zaslavchik as Jake ShirogorovMUSIC BY MAXIE KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY LUKE VARNERCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains references to suicide, child abuse, and child neglect.</html>

Sep 16, 20241h 20m