A Dysfunctional Family on a Heart Warming Adventure Wow, I was swept up in this story fast! Characters with such strong personalities and players and DM alike that had great chemistry together! If you're thinking about starting this journey, let me take you down a road of things i enjoyed to finally tip you over the edge on whether you want to listen or not! First off, as I said before, the characters are given such strong personalities and the players do a great job sticking to them. Like many parties, they don't all get along at first and there is a bit of bickering while they try to adjust to one another but it doesn't take long before they start syncing up and feeling like a tight group of friends, even Angel who tries to fight it. Nyx brings to the table not only a passion for eradicating goblin kind but a strong passion for her music and people, while Bob's loyalty is only to his familiar Steven the Cat. Nyx and Angel's moments right away lead to some great role playing and through the conflict allows Angel to slowly start to form a bond with these loveable rascals, even though being a princess it is a bit below her. Then there is Hugo, that little guy is a ball of positivity, whether he is attacking a dragonborn cleric of a god of death and disease or he is buying thoughtful holiday presents for his new friends. The connections they begin to form really help the DM Brendan drag them along on a wonderful adventure in this homebrew world. Lets talk about that homebrew world! Right off the hop i was impressed how Brendan had the players help design and shape the world, before they even stepped foot into it. The freedom this provided, and continues to do so, allowed the players to really shape their backstories and personalities in a way that felt more organic so when they remembered something from their past it was more based on them and what they imagined rather then what the world could offer. I've listened to the first arch and holiday episode and already the world feels rich and alive, with it's own currency, holidays, and towns and cities springing up wherever the players look. Brendan does a fantastic job keeping this smooth and steady, and we all know how difficult that is as a DM, not to mention world builder. Finally let's talk story! In the beginning we start off with a simple quest, the forest has gone strange and it needs to be investigated. Our merry heroes marched off and discovered more then they bargained for, and it led them into a mystery that is already beginning to blossom around them. The story has a subtle pull at first as you listen, but quickly begins to build as the party races through this forest to find the cause of this growing aggression. If you're in the mood for a story that builds up around the players as they stumble into it, then you're in the right place because this will make you hungry for more answers and tossing questions around while you're cooking chili! So in short, listen to this great podcast, because the quest has just begun, and we all can't wait to see it won!