0:02

Chris here, with another recommendation for an audio drama

0:04

that I've been a huge fan of since it

0:06

launched in 2020. Visionaries

0:09

is a magnificent fantasy set in the

0:11

year 2185. Yet

0:14

in many ways it feels like a Shakespeare

0:16

play or a Roman epic. Future

0:19

humanity has definitely not lost its

0:22

appetite for political drama, rebellion, steamy

0:25

romance, family conflict, backstabbing,

0:27

and more. All

0:29

of which make visionaries a juicy listen,

0:32

but there's a whole lot more to it than that. In

0:35

this futuristic world, humanity is distinguished

0:38

by two races, the

0:40

visionaries and the dead eyes. The

0:43

visionaries are the next step in human

0:45

evolution, gifted with unique eyes that give

0:47

them superhuman powers, like the ability to

0:49

see into the future. The

0:51

dead eyes have no such abilities, and their

0:53

ordinary eyes lead them to suffer at the

0:56

hands of the visionaries, who enslave them to

0:58

keep them powerless. But

1:00

there is revolution afoot, and at the

1:03

heart of the conflict are two brothers

1:05

whose rivalry could take down the entire

1:07

system. New

1:09

York-based series showrunner Richard Sinek has

1:11

created not only a thrilling, multi-layered

1:14

world, but an alluring soundscape.

1:17

His background effects are beautifully subtle, and

1:19

the acting is as good as it

1:21

gets. There are

1:23

now two full seasons of visionaries, so you

1:25

can binge to your heart's content. And

1:28

you can learn more about the plot, and the cast,

1:30

and the crew, and see some

1:32

wonderful show art at visionariesaudiodrama.com.

1:36

But for now, sit back, relax, and

1:38

put those headphones on for a wonderfully

1:41

immersive experience which I've personally binged from

1:43

start to finish. Here

1:45

now is the first episode of

1:47

Visionaries, titled, I for an

1:50

Eye. Visionaries,

2:05

Episode 1, Eye

2:08

for an Eye A

2:27

thick glass table stands in the middle

2:30

of the room. Two

2:34

chairs on the right, two chairs

2:36

on the left, one chair at

2:39

the head of the table. This

2:49

is the conference room inside of Blood

2:52

Tower. This room is the

2:54

command center for the country Vision Rock, land

2:57

of the visionary race. Vision

3:00

Rock is made of five different

3:02

cities, burning candle,

3:04

steady mist, weeping

3:07

soil, sun rising,

3:10

greystone. Visionary

3:13

beings possess unique eyes. These

3:17

eyes hold either single

3:19

ring or multi rings

3:21

within their colored iris. Each

3:24

color carries a specific ability.

3:27

Two chairs drag against the marble

3:29

floor as they are pulled away

3:32

from the glass table, radon

3:34

on the first blood. Citizen

3:37

of the city burning candle carries

3:39

the multi ring red eyes. Within

3:43

his red iris there are black

3:45

rings. Each ring

3:47

appears bigger than the one it's

3:49

surrounding. However, the

3:52

rings stop just before they

3:54

cross into his sclera. He

3:57

sits at the head of the table. A

4:00

red cape hangs over his left shoulder.

4:03

A flame pin holds the cape on the right

4:05

side of his chest. A

4:07

wheel rests on his back

4:09

and shoulders, with spokes sticking

4:12

out. Each spoke

4:14

carries a small candle. He

4:17

is the archseer, leader

4:19

of Vision Rock and all visionaries.

4:23

Sitting to the side of him is the Grand

4:25

Herald, Lord of the Truthseekers.

4:29

He is the citizen of the city

4:31

Steadymus. He carries

4:33

the multi-ring blue eyes. The

4:36

Grand Herald ranks second after

4:38

the Archseer. He

4:40

is the only visionary outside

4:43

of Radon that carries

4:45

the multi-ring eyes. Multiple

4:48

rings increase the visual prowess

4:50

of the visionary. Radon

4:52

pulls the cork out of a wine

4:54

bottle. What's so urgent, Lord?

4:58

I have a vision to report. I

5:01

saw a war coming. It's

5:03

the dead eyes. You pushed my day back

5:05

for that. It's the person leading the dead

5:08

eyes. They are all the same. It's

5:10

not a dead eye leading them. It's

5:13

a visionary. A

5:15

multi-eye beholder. I

5:17

saw him, Archseer. Start

5:21

from the beginning. Tell me

5:23

everything you saw. Lord

5:29

limps to an open door at the end

5:31

of the hallway, desires

5:34

radiating a blue light,

5:37

meaning his special ability is

5:39

currently activated. His

5:42

ability is the power to

5:44

see and navigate through the future. The

5:49

first blood card bursts into the Blood Tower

5:51

from the door down the hall. Grand

5:54

Herald, stay in time. We are a schoo...

5:57

We are a wretch through the card. It

6:03

was loud. The horns. People

6:06

screaming. Who's attacking us? It

6:09

can't just be the dead eyes and one visionary.

6:11

It felt like...everyone. I

6:13

need specifics, Lord. The

6:16

first blood guard that was killed inside a

6:18

blood tower. A spear struck him

6:20

from outside. That's the Greyborn's weapon. Are they helping the

6:22

dead eyes? I'm

6:24

not sure. I didn't

6:26

see you through it. All I know

6:28

for certain. Is the date. And?

6:34

One thousand one hundred and twenty seven

6:36

days from now. Open.

6:43

What is it? Grayson hasn't shown up in

6:45

the library. Did you check his room? Not

6:47

yet, sir. Don't. I'll

6:50

get him myself. Understood. So,

6:57

more or less three years from now. Anything

7:00

else? Archsear.

7:04

There's more. The

7:08

way he's coming outside of the valley.

7:11

Look at that gigantic burning

7:13

of handle-scatchers. A

7:17

long-haul, fine speech. Whoa!

7:30

He's sent me to believe. Dead

7:33

eyes. Pulled it down with

7:35

a simple tuck. Radon stands up and

7:37

walks to the window. He

7:39

sticks his head outside and looks at

7:41

the candle statue. This is

7:43

real, Archsear. The enemy, you have

7:45

no idea. The field was covered

7:47

in dust. I couldn't see

7:49

which city was fighting which. You let

7:52

dust prevent you from doing your only

7:54

job. It wasn't the dust that prevented

7:56

me. It was the plane.

8:00

So a

8:28

random plane will wipe

8:30

out all visionaries, and

8:33

that's the end of our chapter. The multi-eye

8:35

beholder got rid of the plane. I thought

8:37

you said he's leading the rebellion. I believe

8:39

he is. Then why would he make the

8:41

plane disappear? I

8:43

don't know. I don't

8:45

think what you saw was a

8:47

vision. I know a vision when I

8:49

see one. You can't even identify this multi-eye

8:51

beholder. The dust gave him cover. But

8:54

I saw his eyes. Lord Crematian, the master. He

9:00

noticed this

9:03

one man standing at the bottom of

9:06

the Spirit cave.

9:13

The blood tower continues to rust. The dust hides that

9:15

man's identity. However, his shining eyes stand out,

9:18

blue in his lips and red in

9:20

his eyes. Each

9:23

eye has multiple black wings. The

9:27

little old woman to the luxury

9:29

visionary. Please,

9:42

I need to see that man.

9:44

The dead-eye's man, he's

9:46

the one. Dead-eyes is

9:48

the name visionary used to label kings.

9:51

They're powerless. Give

9:54

me one second. One

9:56

minute. Your

10:06

vision implies dead-eye slaves will

10:08

build a combat aircraft under

10:11

our nose, which is

10:13

impossible on Vision Rock. Just because technology

10:15

is banned on Vision Rock doesn't mean

10:17

it's banned on the other side of

10:19

the world. The other side of the

10:21

world is dead. I thought so too,

10:24

but that plane comes from somewhere, and

10:27

so will dead-eye soldiers. I saw one of them.

10:31

A dead-eye infected by spores? There

10:34

is no way any of them survived this long. But

10:36

what if they did? What

10:38

if they built some safe zone? At

10:40

all this time, they're building their army, building

10:43

their planes, preparing for

10:45

three years from now. And

10:47

the multi-eye beholder? You're

10:50

not taking me seriously. Do

10:53

you remember the vision you saw and

10:55

told my father thirteen years ago? That

10:59

Jackson would become the multi-eye beholder.

11:01

The reincarnation of the Great Diviner.

11:05

You call Jackson a god. And

11:09

he's dead. My visions can be altered. And

11:11

me. What

11:14

did you tell my father about me?

11:18

I said you would be nothing. Now I carry the

11:20

mantle. How

11:23

do I know you're not wrong about this too?

11:25

I know the difference between my visions and

11:28

hallucinations. Dead eyes will never

11:30

beat visionaries. That's

11:32

how evolution works. March seer. If

11:34

they have more planes like the one that I

11:36

saw, they will beat us.

11:41

Have a safe trip home. Radon

11:44

exits the room and shuts

11:46

the door behind him. He

11:48

walks down the hall. The

11:51

mantle on his back illuminates the

11:53

paintings on the wall. He

11:56

stops at a door and

11:58

slowly opens it. As

12:02

Vraydon enters, he observes the

12:04

room. It

12:07

spreads over his face. The

12:09

room is a mess. Mountains

12:12

of books, bottles of wine, clothes

12:15

scattered everywhere. He

12:17

rips the curtain to the side. Grazing

12:21

of the first blood sits up in bed.

12:24

He extends his hand forward to block the

12:26

light. He has dead eyes.

12:29

It is three in the afternoon. He

12:32

isn't feeling well. Grazing grabs a

12:34

red berry from a small plant next to

12:36

him. These unique berries have

12:39

two stems on opposite sides.

12:42

He plucks both stems and tosses the

12:44

berry inside his mouth. You're too

12:46

busy getting high off-seat berries. No,

12:50

I see why you kept me waiting. Grazing

12:52

lets out a puff of smoke. What

12:55

did I do now? You only

12:57

talked to me if I did something.

12:59

Athena told me you were bothering her

13:01

with questions again. Of course she was

13:03

bothered. I'm the art seer, more

13:05

than I'm your brother. Remember

13:07

that. She was with

13:10

Jackson when he died. I

13:12

just wanted to ask her about this. Grazing

13:14

picks up a piece of paper and hands it

13:16

to Raydon. Where

13:20

did you find this? In the library. Raydon

13:23

stares at the paper. His

13:26

multi-ring eyes shine a red light, activating

13:29

his ability, bringing

13:31

what he imagines to life. Suddenly,

13:35

the piece of paper catches on fire. What

13:38

are you doing? Healer Ian was a

13:40

traitor. As far as I'm

13:42

concerned, his autopsy of Jackson's body was

13:44

a complete lie. Raydon, if someone killed

13:46

Jackson, then we need to find the

13:48

person responsible. There is no proof. You

13:51

just burned it! That little piece of

13:53

paper wasn't proof. Fine. I'll talk to

13:55

healer or reeze. It

13:57

can lead to more rumors. I don't care about

13:59

rumors. Someone might have killed our brother! You...

14:03

...have other things to worry about.

14:07

Radon pulls out his own piece of paper,

14:10

and hands it to Grey's. Section

14:14

zero? I'm the last person

14:16

that should do this job. I

14:18

disagree. I

14:20

think you're a perfect fit. On

14:25

the other side of Blood Tower, First

14:27

Blood Guards patrol the hall. Saya,

14:31

a dead-eye slave walks past the guards.

14:34

They stop and stare at her. She

14:37

doesn't give in to the intimidation. She

14:40

keeps her head up high, and marches

14:43

forward. A

14:45

steel collar binds her neck with

14:47

a chain dragging behind. The

14:50

roughness of her short, uneven

14:52

haircut. Contrast the softness

14:55

of her beautiful face. However,

14:59

her eyes are her most revealing

15:01

feature. Tired, blank,

15:05

angry. As

15:07

she passes the door, a hand emerges

15:09

and pulls her inside of the library.

15:12

The hand muffles Saya's attempt at

15:14

screaming. Inside the

15:16

library, Saya rips off the

15:19

hand over her mouth. Saya don't- Are

15:21

you crazy? My

15:23

little thin black bag. I

15:25

need to ask you something. I

15:30

need you to- Hide

15:32

a baby in slave's camp. For what? She's

15:35

scheduled for the ceremony. Hiding

15:38

her won't stop the guards from looking. And

15:40

when they find her, it's the slaves that

15:42

will be punished. Not you. I just

15:45

need a couple of days to get them out of- Then? The

15:49

baby and her mother. You're smuggling

15:51

people out? This is different, Saya. Can

15:55

you hide the baby? Please?

16:01

I'll see what I can do. Grazen

16:07

walks through a street market in Section

16:09

Zero. Everyone

16:12

there, only women, carry

16:14

the single ring red eyes. You'll

16:17

stop shopping, stare at Grazen.

16:21

The First Blood Guard commander,

16:24

Bull of the First Blood,

16:26

walks behind him. Bull's

16:30

suit of armor is intimidating, especially

16:33

his helmet. Candle

16:35

rests on the top of his head, leaving

16:38

a trail of smoke behind him.

16:42

His single ring red eyes are the

16:44

only part of his face we can

16:47

see through the helmet. Tasha

16:50

of the First Blood steps up to

16:52

Grazen's face. She has

16:54

Ragsus clothing, but she's not a

16:57

slave. She's a

16:59

visionary with a single ring red eye

17:01

that lives in the poor side of

17:03

a burning candle. You're the one that's going to take

17:05

Lexi's baby. This is everything she's done for you. I don't have

17:07

a choice. Tasha spits on Grazen's face. He

17:10

picks her up with one hand. Tasha kicks her feet as she struggles to breathe. Let

17:13

her go. I'm not going to be able to do this. I'm not going

17:15

to be able to do this. I'm not going to be able to do this. I'm not going to

17:17

be able to do this. I'm not going to be able to do this. I'm not going to be

17:19

able to do this. I'm not going to be able to do this. Tasha

17:22

kicks her feet as she struggles

17:24

to breathe. Assaulting the artsyas brother

17:26

is considered treason. Let her go.

17:35

They were born like you. Bull

17:38

and Grazen march forward. He

17:42

stops in front of a house. I

17:45

know the mother. And? This

17:47

is my assignment. Let me handle it.

17:58

Grazen and Bull Enter the living room. Click

18:02

here for the fruit bird. Brock's

18:04

your baby. up and down. She

18:07

carries single ring red eyes. The.

18:10

Baby on her lap. Christ's

18:12

prompting Lexi to breastfeed her.

18:16

Face and sits across from Legacy. Bob

18:20

stands behind brazen still.

18:23

As stats. I

18:26

can't believe your brothers Thank you! I'm

18:30

sorry. What's

18:33

your name? Maya.

18:40

It was my mother's name. Ends

18:42

somewhere on a tight

18:44

schedule. Can

18:47

we talk alone? Grayson On the

18:49

orders of Artsy a raid on

18:51

I'm to remain with grace and

18:53

at all times writes a brother

18:56

in stride. Didn't ask your brothers

18:58

permissions, I'm asking you. Greens

19:01

and. Lexi.

19:04

Sometimes. These

19:07

situations just have a way

19:09

of working out. Just.

19:14

Let it be. Less

19:17

be. That's

19:19

all you have to see. More

19:21

walks closer to let since. His

19:24

hand rests on the pommel

19:26

office or face. I've

19:29

got it. Then do it. Or.

19:32

I will. Legacy

19:35

of the First Blood. Look at

19:37

me. When you're saying it, look

19:39

me in the eyes. On

19:45

behalf of Arch Seer Rate

19:47

on Leader of Vision Rock

19:50

Blood of the Great Designer.

19:53

I hereby border you to hand over your.

19:57

Deformed in fend for it.

20:00

Sleep. A

20:09

lot you have a moment for we take. All

20:15

and grace and eggs. Are.

20:25

Let it be. The

20:27

art seer warned me that you might try

20:29

to be hero against save your friend's baby.

20:33

If she runs, I will track her

20:35

and the baby down and talk them

20:38

to pieces in front of you. Sooner

20:41

or later, I'll catch

20:43

and. Sounds.

20:47

Like it might be sooner. Next.

20:52

To sits against the wall. Smokes

20:55

teams out of her mouth. I

20:58

see those behind her hands. Of

21:01

his seat, berries, or sprawled

21:03

out over the floor. Grayson

21:06

dropped out. At

21:10

sea. Both posada small

21:13

nice. he set up high

21:15

aim down towards the baby.

21:17

Great divine. Guide

21:20

my ass and accept this

21:22

infant into your eternal flame.

21:24

Move away from. Now

21:28

I take my orders from

21:30

me. This is my assignment

21:32

you work under. Meet. Those

21:36

scenes says you're going to hold

21:39

the ceremony for her dead mother

21:41

to watch. This is

21:43

quicker. Ways and

21:45

picks up the baby some The Prince.

21:47

You're still going to do what I

21:49

was about. Two Miles has a silver

21:51

things and sold their. She.

21:54

has dead eyes Later

22:02

that night, slave Saya carries two

22:04

heavy wooden buckets inside of Grazin's

22:07

room. Saya picks up

22:09

a mop and plunges it inside one

22:11

of the buckets. She

22:13

whips it out and mops the floor. Grazin

22:17

enters the room and shuts the door

22:19

behind him. They

22:24

have the baby. I have

22:26

people in place waiting on orders. Waiting?

22:29

Do you understand what you're going to do to this baby? She

22:31

won't be there for long. You don't know that. And

22:34

I don't want my people getting hurt over a

22:36

visionary baby. Are you

22:38

saying you won't do it? Why is

22:40

she so important? Lexi

22:43

was the only person outside of

22:45

Grazin that didn't treat me different.

22:47

She never called me deformed or

22:49

dead-eyed. You loved her. Yes.

22:55

You never mentioned her before. I

22:57

didn't think it mattered. It

23:00

does now. My

23:03

father thought she was a bad influence on me. She

23:06

was too rebellious for his taste.

23:11

So I stopped talking to her. She

23:15

killed herself today. Overdosed

23:19

on seatberries. I

23:22

never had the opportunity to explain that I was

23:24

trying to save her baby. For

23:27

your part, she didn't

23:29

even think I would try. I

23:32

didn't do enough just like before. Grazin, our

23:35

rebellion is going to happen. What? Udo

23:38

is leading the slaves. He's going to have

23:40

every slave killed. You know that, right? Saya,

23:42

even I won't be able to protect you from my brother.

23:44

I have a deal that can help the both of us

23:46

get what we want. You

23:49

will save that baby's life for

23:51

your brother's life. That baby has nothing to

23:54

do with it. She's a visionary. She has

23:56

everything to do with it. You

23:59

think that baby is hurting? Look

24:01

at her, she

24:03

may be considered too low to be a visionary, but

24:05

at least she's high enough not to be a slave.

24:08

At least she'll die peacefully. Slaves

24:10

die every day, in every way,

24:12

but never peacefully. Saya, don't- I need to

24:15

go back with an answer. I

24:17

want to speak with Udo. That's not possible. If

24:19

he wants a shot of me turning on my

24:21

family, then we need to talk. Fine. I

24:27

can't believe you asked me to pick. You. Of all people.

24:31

And what about you? He

24:34

told me you love me. I do love you. Then

24:37

why haven't you offered to smuggle me out? That's

24:39

not fair. You know it's ten times harder to

24:41

smuggle out slaves. You can't say the words, not

24:43

fair. You want me to

24:45

smuggle you out just to get caught in

24:48

the next city? It won't work, just like

24:50

this senseless rebellion. We believe in Udo! Udo

24:52

is irrational, and he's going to cost you

24:54

your life, all for little to no change.

24:59

What life? Saya

25:02

puts on an appalling black rubber

25:04

mask that only shows her eyes.

25:07

She tightens the strap on the top of

25:09

her head. The stamped

25:11

number on the forehead of her mask

25:14

is number 97. Multi-ring

25:20

eyes glow with a red light. Across

25:23

the room, a row of five

25:26

fire torches catch fire,

25:29

one by one. Each

25:33

fire torch illuminates a carved stone

25:36

face right below it, the

25:38

faces of the past arch sears, one

25:42

through five. The

25:44

entire room comes to light. This

25:47

is the library inside a blood tower.

25:50

Books shall stretch around the room.

25:53

And on the floor, there's a

25:55

wide rug with a sleeping

25:57

naked woman under cover. Radon

26:01

screams the red light again. Craft

26:05

appears in the fifth stone space.

26:08

It starts in its right eye and

26:10

runs slowly down to its cheek. Iroh

26:15

sits up on the rod. Her

26:17

green, beautiful eyes aren't just that

26:20

beautiful, but dead

26:23

eyes. You have to go back to the

26:25

slave camp tonight. I'll have Bol

26:27

escort you. You want me to go? Esenia

26:30

wants to talk. It'll

26:32

probably take all night. I thought you

26:34

are the Arts here, not your

26:36

wife. Careful, Ira. Remember

26:39

what you are. I'm

26:41

more than just a slave. I

26:44

know things. Ira stands up.

26:47

The covers slide off of her

26:49

breath. She pulls

26:52

Radon in close. I

26:54

know more than your wife. Like

26:57

what? What you really are. Fearless,

27:02

ambitious, like the third

27:04

Arts here. I really remember him as

27:06

unstable. The crazy Arts here

27:08

that burned Greystone to the ground. Forget

27:11

the action and look at the message.

27:13

It's the action that killed him. Sacrifice

27:15

isn't the same as being killed.

27:20

How do you know so much about him? Your

27:24

father loves talking about the history of

27:26

Arts here. Even

27:28

how you came to power. What

27:33

did he say about me? People

27:36

call you Radon the borrower

27:38

because you were

27:40

the only Arts here that couldn't

27:43

awaken your motoring guys. Your

27:46

father gave you his motoring guys

27:48

through eye transplant. A

27:50

risky procedure that's never had successful

27:53

results, but it did for you.

27:55

It was after the fifth

27:57

Arts here died and you. Took

28:00

the mantle Do

28:04

you think that's the name for me raid

28:06

on the borrower raid on the ambitious

28:08

I Know

28:12

something else Secret

28:16

my gift to you

28:21

The slaves are planning your

28:24

rebellion and it starts with

28:26

you dying You

28:35

Thank you for listening to visionaries audio drama

28:38

if you like what you hear Timely subscribe

28:40

to us on visionaries audio drama

28:43

calm. You can also follow us

28:45

on social media for any updates asked

28:54

The fable and falling network where

28:56

fiction producers flourish I Can't

29:00

get you a drink They

29:06

had a moment hadn't they That

29:09

afternoon when Garrett had smiled just

29:12

like this warm

29:14

I and amused in a way that

29:16

made Tony one another cigarette, but Also

29:19

want to step forward. Okay, what are you reading? Ah? New

29:24

text post on Thursday, May 21st Title

29:29

why you should be watching So

29:35

Selkirk fandom who wants to read my

29:37

5,000 word essay Garrett's

29:39

last name secret werewolf

29:43

I'm Kate by the way I

29:51

think I lucked out when I found Selkirk

29:54

because if I'd loved something else I

29:56

would have made friends And I would have

29:58

been able to read a ton of great

30:00

stories. But

30:04

this way, I

30:06

met you.