Episode description[edit | edit source]
Thank you for joining us to say goodbye to Hieron....
From beginning...
...to end!!
It's been quite a journey and we had a great time capping it off by answering some of your questions! We had such a wonderful outpouring of support and love the past week and it really means the most to us! We love doing this and we love that people enjoy listening to it.
Over the next weeks, the friends behind Friends at the Table are going to take a short break before starting our sixth season: PARTIZAN, a story of war, politics, faith, and (yes) giant mechs. You can hear the trailer in this episode or by itself, right here, and you can check out the game we'll be playing in PARTIZAN, Austin Ramsay's Beam Saber, right here.
But before we get there, to keep your podcast feed warm, we'll be sharing the Road to Season Six, an anthology of one-shots played in different systems that will bridge the Twilight Mirage and PARTIZAN seasons. The Road to Season Six isn't necessary listening if you want to hop on board PARTIZAN in a couple of months, but it definitely provides some big picture context for the stakes and history that lead us to this new setting!
These episodes originated as Live at the Table games, available to watch live for all of our Patreon supporters, and if you want to check them out (unedited, without music) right now, you can actually do that! Just go to friendsatthetable.cash and become a $5 supporter to get access to all of the Live at the Table games, our bonus campaign, Bluff City, and both Tips at the Table and Drawing Maps, two shows that share our thoughts on playing and prepping games. For just $1, you can get years of "Clapcasts," collections of the all the chatter between us that happens before we get into the game proper.
(Speaking of Live at the Table, most of the past Live at the Table music is NOW AVAILABLE over on Jack's bandcamp. Go check it out!)
If you're already a patron, or if you're not looking for more podcast to listen to but want to support the show somehow, then guess what: We have TWO new pieces of merchandise to check out.
First, we've teamed up with Heart of the Deernicorn (creator of Fall of Magic and BFF!) and the incredible artist Simon Sweetman to make this Fall of Magic t-shirt, hoody, and print, featuring characters from our very own playthrough of that game!
Second, we've opened up our own online store at friendsatthetable.shop, where you can (FINALLY!) buy prints of the incredible Hieron cover art by artist Craig Sheldon! A single print is $15 USD, but you can get the entire set for just $35!
Contents[edit | edit source]
The cast answers questions from listeners about the following topics:
- how easy Spring in Hieron was to make, and whether everyone was happy with how the campaign closed
- what the other characters would create if they could use Fero's Origin of Species ability
- whether the resolution of many of the characters' "lacks" was intentional
- the inspiration for Hadrian's spiritual journey, and how it's been influenced by Art and Austin's experiences with religion
- what parts of Ephrim's backstory (particularly with the Grand Tour) were never shared
- wrapping up stories when each character is at a different point in their arc
- ambiguity in storytelling, and how much discussion there was about what should be left vague
- whether the players have visions of their characters' arcs or let them happen naturally, and whether the extra time spent with these characters has made the players think differently about their development
- what Orth Godlove thought of the ending, and what season was his favorite
- the game systems that have influenced the cast the most, including ones that haven't been featured on the podcast
- their favourite songs from throughout any of the Hieron soundtracks
- how orc gods are named
- whether anyone took any moves that weren't as useful as they hoped
- whether Hieron music is diegetic (i.e. whether Jack was scoring the scenes as themself or as Lem)
- how glad Jack is that they don't have to clap in songs anymore
- what would change about the story and characters if they redid Hieron, and which aspects of the story they re-evaluated as they went on
- any big moments that solidified who the characters were to their players
- planning the Hella/Adaire arc, and how to make a PC/PC relationship work (from both the players and the GM)
- how (if at all) rescheduling affected the storyline
- the Dream Essence sequence during the second University arc
- the King of Winter card in The Quiet Year
- how Austin brought other players in for extra scenes (especially Fantasmo's brief return)
- Jack's process for the instrumentation of the main themes
- the theme of accountability across the series, especially in Episode 44
- Fero's potential divinity, and how much Keith and Austin talked about it
- the rhizome theory of philosophy and data collection
- everyone's favorite moment initiated by another player
- whether Red Jack actually heard something in the woods when he went missing
- everyone's favorite moment of an arc they weren't in
- how Maelgwyn ended up in the vault