Fireside Chat for WWW ep40 “Aid and Comfort”

“the soldier guy who says that will never hear the peepers” BRENNAN 😭 you really fucking get it, man

Lex Morris

Doing a relisten from the beginning… I don’t have anything clever to say, but thank you all for the story you’ve been telling. It’s a welcome escape from the increasingly horrifying reality of today’s world, and at the same time a much-needed reminder of what matters.

Drew Faber

Listening to this fireside and then immediately finding out that Mumford and Sons is releasing a new song with Hozier. 🪕☘️

Alyssa

Hearing them talk about sadness, I now want the character description for The Wizard Sadness

theoddhobbyist

If you aren't choosing joy, you have to tell me!

Roberto Planos

Just wanted to say that I think the final scene of this episode may be my favorite so far. Beautful!

Andrew Rothardt

Brennan is correct. The dark forest is a glorious place.

Megan Gass

Brennan, I need you to know that right before I started listening to this ep, I got a notification saying that Mumford and Sons are coming to a town near me. HOW ~Arun

Ezra-Ifeanyi + Arun

I’ve never heard indefatigable spoken out loud…. I was pronouncing that all wrong

Lupins Mom

The emotional whiplash of feeling seen for my undying love of Mumford and Sons to INSTANTLY betrayed with "we can just let them die" is a deep wound I shan't forgive nor forget! That blood vendetta aside, great episode! Ahoo-hoo! 😎

Jordan T. Maxwell

Brennan discussing philosophy and ethics and the phenomenon of trying to study logic/strip emotional impulse away and how, at times, emotional impulse is actually right/leading us in the correct direction actually reminds me a lot of the concept of the wise mind in DBT practice in regard to decision making and emotional regulation. It asserts that we have an emotional mind (impulse), a logical/rational mind (analyze), and that leaning too much on one is often a detriment to us. We should strive to achieve a synthesis of holding both emotion response and logical reasoning to reach the wise mind, which allows for intuitive thinking and present, mindful decision making!!

Amelia Granato

It took me until halfway through the episode to realize that “Steve Jabs” is a play on “Steve Jobs”

Shey

Silver is so going to become the bad guy as he sides with the Citadel over Suki. 😢

John Bigelow

Anyone else having an issue with Overcast saying “not authorized” for just this episode?

Rob S.

That's a big ass NOPE from me! I once walked into our front yard as a kid and Joanna (a goanna) was sat there on the warm stones and just stared at me. No way to walk around it, it was taking up the whole path. I went back inside and had to wait for it to rack off. They probably couldn't kill you, like it sounds like a mountain lion could, but I was an Ame sized child

Sil

As a 12 year old kid in USA from a small town in Iowa. my immediate response to seeing a mountain lion come out of the woods and make eye contact with me. Was to throw a baseball at it and run home. I love the woods but there are things in there and they will let you know if you dont belong.

Zach K

Red string and all..lol

The Wizard Sparrow

I too need to go back and listen to 12 brooks…we are heading there soon

The Wizard Sparrow

I’m going to need the name of that book Brennan read about indigenous forestry.

A Halsell

The irony of getting to the “let Mumford and Sons die” part as I see an email that their next album is out on Friday

Ammar Khalid

What a “joy and a privilege it is to share this world” with y’all - on both sides of the fireside. Ahoo, hoo, crackle, crackle

Sean Case

Okay but as an unofficial educator to neurodivergent, barefoot, free-ranged children, beginning a D&D club at our literal cabin-in-the-woods tiny school: Aabria and Brennan talking about cunning, saving face, protecting kids, ethics, and whole-picture-strategizing when working with potential danger and stepping outside the bounds of what we were raised to do in society… hit a rallying bell in me. It’s so tiring. And we persist. Thank you all for the most BEAUTIFUL stories and wisdom. Blatant fucking truth. Let’s GO. 😮‍💨🫡🙂‍↕️

M Dorsey

My minor was in political science so this is the best intro I've ever heard!

steve

Potential not potential addition just bc it’s good and in line with the other recs (for anyone else interested): The Secret Life of Trees is lovely as well 🤎 Braiding Sweetgrass is just.. whew 😭

M Dorsey

I almost thought we should get a “Jesus is my Thesaurus” shirt… But I think the art would have to be VERY SPECIFIC otherwise it would be misconstrued 😂

M Dorsey

So thankful for this and the worlds and stories you share and to the crew that helps get them processed and up 🦋❤️‍🔥🦊🖖🍁🍄🐻🍝🧭

Ryan L.

So glad Aabria said "got her back blown out," in this cause during the episode proper when she said, "back," my brain IMMEDIATELY filled it in with, "got blown out".

akodorokku

The woods at night is one of my favourite places. I remember being at a summer camp, and there were some city kids who were completely blind without a flashlight while me and the other smalltown/country kids could see fine. I think that makes a difference in the emotional response to those places.

larkermouse

This latest episode truly helps me appreciate the type of story this group is telling. Very rarely would you see a large size TTRPG actual play tackle the type of nuance reflected in our worlds past history. Often the concepts of slavery, children kidnapping and more are placed in the cultures of the antagonist of the story. We all know about the earlier times depiction of drow and orcs. And that's largely due to western societies' refusal to accept the often-horrific past behaviors and actions committed. The empire has regularly given me western colonization like vibes, and Brennan deciding to lean in and fully showcase that is truly refreshing.

leotoffee

Same 🤣

Kat Martinez

Keep jabbin folks

Roberto Planos

Amazing to see the whole gang at MSG tonight. Lost it when Aabria and Erika did their "post credit" reveal. Thank you for the magic your collective storytelling brings to us all!!!

Hoppy Raven

Damn I really would have thought the three of you would have been able to find some sort of rhyme for comfort. Sometimes you just come short. Erika is so right about the deep woods and they should say it. I too take glee in my feral humanity and the circumstances that call to it.

Kolbjorn

I was finishing my catch up and then going to listen to Twelve brook and I’m very scared now… what will this do in hindsight for me…

Jaxson Denton

I have always heard the Foxes’ Boss as the Scouser boss which just means like awesome or great. So I have always heard the Fox being “yo cool dude what’s up”

Jaxson Denton

I love how, even unintentionally, the Whorner Corner made an appearance

Carson

"All Witches Are Beautiful" would be a great sticker, but as a Suvi stan, I'd love it even more if it was generalized to All Casters Are Beautiful

Ivey Wexler

Yo drop the book titleeeeee pleaseeeeeee

Lee

Wizard Sunny on vocals, putting metal screamo to shame? 😂

Sil

Old mate 😂

Sil

Hearing about y'alls woods at night is infinitely scarier than the Australian bush. Only thing in there that'll bite if you piss it off is a murder spagherder or a danger bow-tie. Maybe Joanna. Meanwhile, you've got fkn BEARS!?! and JAGUARS!?!? Up in your continent, but still be scared of Aus!? It's usually the water trying to kill you, not the bush.

Sil

I am going to look into these. Thank you for the recommendations.

Mike

Hmm, I don't think I've found it, but here are three it *could* be: 1. Tending the Wild (M. Kat Anderson) 2. A Time for Burning (Henry T Lewis - available online as a pdf) 3. Ground-truthing (Derrick Stacey Denholm - almost certainly not this one) I'll pose the question to the library student discord, we'll get it ;)

Jordanne Stahl

Mirepoix - https://open.spotify.com/track/2aF9UlKWRhlux3802n8PHc

tre blessing

I am from a place with real, very accessible wilderness and Aabriya has the most sane and safe reaction to the woods being dark and deep <3 If you have good knowledge and experience of that land, that’s different, but if you aren’t informed or are a colonizer, procede only with lots of caution.

Rebecca Barker

Ironic fact: Mumford and Sons just announce they’re releasing a new album yesterday.

Micah Ballard

The irony that my playlist was on shuffle and I was listening to Mumford and Sons right before starting this fireside 😂

mleanl

Fire Beyond Measure

Kevin Goodwin

Brennan Lee Mulligan: the original Loose Duke

Megs

‘Bum-hurt’ rhymes with comfort 😛

Phoenix Vizva’i

I am very glad for the fireside cuz I was so confused about what side was behind kidnapping lol I hope someday we can get a pin board conspiracy map of how all the different entities intertwine lol

thedragonllama

i really needed to hear “keep jabbin” this week. so thanks for that

milo

Every fireside just gives me such a comforting little escape and a belly full of giggles. I appreciate you all so much 🫶

lunarsummer

I complain endlessly about the Catskills, but also, the Catskills, my beloved

lunarsummer

indefatigable as always

Dukinator

He was talking about old growth forests and forests that share space with people and forests that are dense and hard to navigate. He referenced this book about North American forests with long, long histories of Indigenous caretaking.

Mike

Braiding Sweetgrass was really quite good.

Mike

🎉🎉🎉🎉 can't wait!!

Issy Prz

I went to a small high school (60 people in a graduating class) with Jeeyon Shim. It was so weird and cool to hear her name after many years and to look her up and discover what she's up to! I grew up in California but moved to the UK more than a decade ago and sometimes the world is a very small place.

Milly Farouki

I am briefly not subscribed to the Fireside while I prioritize paying for my MLIS so idk which Indigenous Forestry book Brennan was reading but I can recommend starting with Robin Wall Kimmerer (Braiding Sweetgrass, Gathering Moss, The Serviceberry)... If I see other hints about the content I can probably reverse engineer what he was reading

Jordanne Stahl

Where’s the map?

Yarl

As soon as episode was done I fired up some Mumford and Sons

Jason

Hope to see some of yall at the madison square show !

OminousOwl

when will my husband (lou) return from the war (wandering, or something??)

samp

The description of the forest in the beginning was so beautiful it made me cry on my way to work last week.

Jared Mordigal

Mirepoix!

Sarah Allen-Cristantello

Mirepoix

Thomas Raemy

What was that word Aabria used? About the vegetables? I couldn't quite make it out and wanna look it up

Brandon Carbaugh

Local forests that can provide food, that's my dream.

Leah S.

The descriptions of the dark forest conjured up so many memories of my childhood in rural Maine.

Cosmic Bingo

If Lou’s persona/replacement isn’t Lucas Wiley (American Vandal) for one of these I’ll riot.

Nash Quella

Anybody know where Brennan heard abt the rotting log in the Black Forest? Lol I need to know

Joe McMahon

What was the name of the book, Brennan?!? You can't just talk about a book that cool and not drop the title!

Susan Buckley

I want to know too!

Susan Buckley

Thank goodness for this today, love you all!

Jesse Massaro

I came in here looking for this specifically. I haven’t heard yet.

Mike

This was exactly what I needed today! So glad to be able to spend time by the fireside!

Stevi Deter

"Jesus is my Thesaurus"made me cackle, and then all the political science nerdery and then the end.... :::Faints:::

Elizabeth Boskey

I appreciate having the map of the region for this season, are there maps available for Akham (sp?) and the rest of Umora? If there is, I'd love that!

Lace Cameron

That segment about becoming feral in the nighttime woods...I felt that.

WJ

I feel like I should bring up the fact that at least the patrons already knew the fact that the empire takes children. I very distinctly remember Brennan describing in an earlier fireside chat that the way that the citadel chooses who gets trained to become a wizard is by sending people to villages and giving the local five year olds puzzles to solve and taking the ones who do too well away from their families. I'm sure that the implication is that the arrangement is supposed to be consensual, but can it really be considered that when the alternative is being shamed by your community for not making that sacrifice?

Fan Trades

I think it was they were just distracted

Elijah Peters

Same

Phil

Big thanks to Steve Jabs for getting the show out of the dark woods and back on track

Robert Camunas

Wait, is my memory of the end of 12 Brooks wrong? Because I remember it being *heavily* implied (if not outright stated) that the Empire was carting people off and essentially disappearing entire villages.

Moosemade

As someone from Western Washington, I do appreciate a good biome. We got the world's Northern most rainforest. Some of the descriptions Lewis and Clark gave of their equipment rotting off their backs in the Olympic forest... Dang

Strange Universe

3:36 "indefatigable", for those following along muttering "can he say that?"

jayne

Agiddysea, if you're going to process in public, you should expect for others to react to and critique your work in the same way you're reacting to and critiquing the work of others. If you wanna feel that the show led you astray, by all means go and feel that. But if you wanna articulate and then publish those thoughts in an open forum with comments, you should be prepared for people to say "No. You are wrong, and wrong in a weirdly confused way." If you don't want that, and god knows I wouldn't, you are free to journal privately or capture your beautiful journey on a private blog with the comments turned off.

Larger Clam

A for effort

Kevin Goodwin

Yeah I think it was intentionally muddled, but able to put together if you have a great memory (which I don't). I know I came away from it thinking that it was the Empire less because I heard any one definitive thing but because of Suvi's reaction. Like, why would she go to such lengths to lie to her soldiers unless she felt the Grennoe family needed protection from them? Also, we've heard before that the Citadel removes children from their families, the children who are tested for magical aptitude and sent to the citadel, so to me it wasn't a huge step that they would just take children if they wanted to - especially shapeshifters

Annika Kandoll

These voices are such a source of comfort for me on tough days. Thank you for that.

Jo Carter

To Brennan: yeah, Mumford and Sons is still around! They just released a single, and apparently have an album coming out later this year

The Wizard Smudge

Keep Jabbin 2025!

Kevin Goodwin

Every drop of Brennan lore on the Fireside is wild and I will never be sick of it. Love hearing the internal monologue of Eurselon being "nah fuck that guy I'll be over here" So Buckle is dead? Kidnapped? Whomst could say??????

Emily C

“Jesus is my thesaurus” is such a banger 😂 Also, someone’s phone was buzzing part way through the ep and I spent way too long looking for what phone was making that sound

Sharat Chandra

Shame Brennan couldn’t be Triumphant in finding a word to rhyme with comfort

Ayan Jama

Rhymes with "comfort"? "Tumblr" is as close as "Mumford" as far as I'm concerned, and Tumblr's banjo player didn't quit to start a right-wing podcast in the footsteps of their half-billionaire father (as far as I know) ETA: fabulous episode!!! May we all keep jabbin'!

GC

Ah, like the UK "bossman"

Tijay Arnie

I'm 14 minutes into the episode, but I just opened the patreon notification. This picture of Mumford & Sons is killing me. 🤣

JaNay Larsen

the man in black is not aligned with justice right? I think his position is more like "the citadel is what people become so people are the problem and maybe we should just get rid of humans/bring them back to a point where they can't develop to citadel level "technology" ever again neither cause is really good, yet both have a worldview you can at least understand given their position in the world

nathan

Same!

StWindsor

The machinery of the empire is complex which is the point of the story. It takes children away from families. The citadel also does that. Like the one wizard who doesn’t ever visit home. The wizards are both victims and perpetrators of violence. The empire takes kids and makes its citizens prosperous and have high standards of living. The USA has committed genocide and is a beacon of hope for many immigrants. Things can be many multitude of contradictory things at the same time which is the point of this story. Wizards also are very much cogs they don’t see the big picture mist probably don’t know about the kid stealing. Like Suvi didn’t.

Emilie Han

"Jesus is my thesaurus" I'm crying! 😆 🤣 😂

Justin Smith (Barbarossa Builds, LLC)

If it's such a straightforward narrative why did you need it explained to you before you understood it? You can't accuse the show of a simplistic moral worldview, when A) they spent a whole season inside the citadel, humanizing and beautifully exploring the motivations and lives of its participants from the highest authorities to the lowest servants and B) in the same breath you admit that recent events cast confusion on the fundamental conflict between the citadel and the man in black. Which is it, have they made the conflict more morally complicated or made it simpler? It can't be both.

Larger Clam

Thank y'all for the brief mention re: the incredibly unseasonable warmness affecting the area. Very glad to know that you are all safe and hale ❤️

Danielle St John

Being in a dark forest during a full moon is my favorite because everything looks like it’s being shot in black and white and it feels like the Earth-equivalent of the near-spirit

Freja Anneliese

Listen, if he wants to play silly games, then he gets to win silly prizes 😎

Danielle St John

I missed that, too. I fully thought it was Gaothmi. 😅

Danielle St John

Dusty or not, Johnny Flynn’s “Leftovers” and “The Box” suit the fox so well

MoodieRuxton

Ahoohoo crackle crackle duck n weave! Happy new year and jab the plutocrats!

Cressida Ford

Shades of grey. The Empire commits atrocities against perceived (potential) enemies. I'm absolutely certain that we would see similar things in Gathumai or Ruv if or when the story takes us there. Suvi does need to decide her response to acts by the side she is aligned with, and that's where the story tension comes from

Dominic Corbin

Sworn stopping short of the next simple, logical step of "we are soldiers, we turn food into victory; they are FARMERS, they turn food into exponentially more food" was also such an elegantly uncomplicated maneuver. The rationalization machine, as steel pointed out last arc, actually gets stronger the more clevererer a person is.

Lilith Evenstar

Keep Jabbin, everybody 💜

Corey Lynn

I was absolutely delighted by Brennan popping off at the bigoted soldier; I fully agree that creatives often pursue the idea of "every character being the hero of their own story" to absurd lengths, and that it's frequently healthier to just call a spade a spade (or in this case, a racist scumbag coward a racist scumbag coward)

Elizabeth Edwards

wow I can't believe Brennan didn't know a word!

Josh

Agiddysea

Can't wait to see those jabs Steve! Stay strong my American friends, tough times are coming for us all, but with shows like this that continue to exist, I still have hope in humanity. 💜🤍

William Hazelden

I love Aabria's joy when Fireside Brennan shows up

Genna

The name of my first adventuring party was Sunford and Mum's. Two bards - Pimon and Darfunkle - and their orc barbarian security guard (me)

Just a Fox

I did too? I've listened to it twice trying to understand *who* were the ones taking the children! Still haven't caught the point where they said it was the Empire?

Just a Fox

We been known, have you heard him as the Ink Demon Enzo? In awe of this man's improv rhyming skills

Just a Fox

Same, - 11 in Iowa and so happy to be by the Fireside!

Kara Vaughn

AWAB — All Witches Are Beautiful. Or, potentially, Assigned Witch At Birth

Amrita Chakraborty

Abria saying Jesus take the wheel to language town lol

Donald Chambliss Jr.

Wow, Mumford & Sons got rightly ROASTED

Chris Neal

It’s fitting that Mumford and sons announced a new album in the last week to be released this year

Larry Thomsen

Does anyone know the name of the book on indigenous forestry that Brennan mentions? I haven't finished the ep yet, apologies if it's mentioned later!

Zachary M Davidson

Ahoo hoo Crackle Crackle y'all

Andreshmandre

I am a grounds keeper and banjo player and will volunteer do be brennans dusty banjo back man

Quest Couture

Brennan rhyming! Adding to my list of evidence that BLeeM is prepping to DM the long-yearned-for Oops All Bards season of D20 (hopefully feat. Ross, Zach, Jess, and Rashawn)

India Jane White

I shamefully admit I missed the empire mention when they were talking about the kids being kidnapped 😭 that hits hard.

StWindsor

AHOOHOO CRACKLE CRACKLE

Samantha Nicole

Can we get the title of the indigenous forestry book? Sounds relevant to my interest!

Pyrohydriscence

Can’t wait for Brennan’s new family band: Mumford and Sunny

August D.

Ahoo hoo and a crackle crackle to you all Something that I've been thinking is how big is this fire that we can all be beside it? O.o

Dandley

Amazing thing to wake up to yay!!!

Ro Lara

Yes!🖖🦋❤️‍🔥🦊 crackle crackle

Ryan L.

"I like my musicians dustyy" giggles

Genna

That episode description is incredible, bravo 😂

Cody Hasselbring

The best thing about the fireside is Erika taking Lou's bits as an opportunity to throw him curveball lol

Shadarous

Ahoohoo crackle crackle everyone 🤍 I love the fireside chat always makes my day every single time 💯🤍💯

Nicholas Savage AKA Eursulon’s knight in training

Can We get a passport/immigration papers to Umora?

Joseph Cormier

It may be -9 here in Kansas but at least I can stay warm by the fireside! Ahoohoo and Crackle crackle my friends 😀

Chad Asher

Ahoo Ahoo Crackle Crackle

The Witch of Wandering Dreams

Crackle crackle!

SvenTS