The Hired Swords: Recent Episodes
The Hired Swords
The Hired Swords is a Dungeons and Dragons actual play podcast with four knuckleheads and a sage DM. Roll with us as we TRY to survive and tell our epic tale of monsters and mystery.
This is it. This is the hardest fight the Swords have had to face. Rise up. Be the light in the darkness or die trying.
The swords attempt to make sense of a civilization left to ruin. What is there to be learned from here? How will they bring to light so much lost and forgotten?
Destinations often feel so empty when the lives they harbored have been long forgotten. Listen as the Swords search and uncover more mystery about these dark miasmic lands.
Dreams are often a gift, some can be a curse.. For what is a nightmare to some, might be a revelation to others. Can the swords push onward in this dark night?
The Swords attempt to escape the trouble they walked themselves DIRECTLY into. I swear they'll never learn..
The Swords muster up the courage to delve deep into the burrows below the lost lands. Historically, nothing good came from tunnels in these parts..
Further into the forgotten lands the Swords explore the surrounding areas, uncovering the mysteries of Gwendolyn's heritage.
As the Swords approach the Forgotten Elven Lands, they discover clues about the lives that were lived here.
This land feels neverending especially when trying so hard to reach the Elven lands believed to be the long lost people from Gwendolyn's journal.
An animated mass of root and timber stands between our heroes and one of the long-awaited destinations lost and forgotten. To arms as the Swords must chop their way through this unnatural combatant.
The line has been drawn and the lives have been laid down to rest.. But who is to answer for this? Who is to pay the toll for what's left in these broken lands?
After being ambushed in the Shadow Wilds, Davon managed to show his power and control of the arcane by Banishing one of the Shadowlings to an alternate dimension. Another fight survived and more understanding of what is in store for the Swords is just ahead.
Deeper into the unforgiving lands of the north the Swords are seemingly forever faced by sets of eyes watching their every move from around every corner.
YOU ARE NOT WELCOME
YOU ARE NOT WELCOME
YOU ARE NOT WELCOME
YOU ARE NOT WELCOME
YOU ARE NOT WELCOME
With failed efforts to cross the raging river, it gave time for a familiar face to catch up with the Swords. They have given him a chance to speak.. but for how long?
With the Shadows subdued for now, we must make our way forward and across this stretch of river ahead.
How do you kill the unkillable? For each strike we make, this creature seems to only become stronger..
A storm of darkness brews just beyond the horizon. Churning and toiling with evil intent. How often have you felt that bitter cold chill of despair? How many times has it taken your heart and frozen it solid, away from the world? Alone in your own misery.
Unfeeling. Unrelenting emptiness.
It's hard to believe there aren't eyes in the darkness. Watching from the Shadows. Waiting for the Hired Swords to let down their guard.. They're not ready. Are you?
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After a night of challenges and mystery, the Swords continue on their journey.. Unfortunate for them, they're walking directly into the rising darkness.
-This show is created using Zencastr, an all-in-one podcast production suite! We love it and we know you will too. To try Zencastr today, visit https://zen.ai/thehiredswords for 30% off and a 14-day free trial of the Professional level that we use ourselves!
Gods, Gals, Guides and Glory.. This episode has it all.. Follow the Swords as they experience one of the largest Lore Drops they've experienced to date.
-This show is created using Zencastr, an all-in-one podcast production suite! We love it and we know you will too. To try Zencastr today, visit https://zen.ai/thehiredswords for 30% off and a 14-day free trial of the Professional level that we use ourselves!
I can't accept this. We've found no reason that so many lives were lost in this place.
We scraped by yet another fight that could have expired Gwen.. It could have taken us all. So why here? There can't just be nothing. There has to be more than a cruel joke or is this really just a cave many swords were sent to as a means of execution.
-This show is created using Zencastr, an all-in-one podcast production suite! We love it and we know you will too. To try Zencastr today, visit https://zen.ai/thehiredswords for 30% off and a 14-day free trial of the Professional level that we use ourselves!
Combating vines and poisonous spores isn't the dream one imagines when setting out to find their long-lost father. Hoping for a long-awaited reunion.. How did we end up here, mixed up in all this...? And how will we get out?
-This show is created using Zencastr, an all-in-one podcast production suite! We love it and we know you will too. To try Zencastr today, visit https://zen.ai/thehiredswords for 30% off and a 14-day free trial of the Professional level that we use ourselves!
Down in the dark, dank cave of Lonely Hill lives the Mother of Spores. She knows your thoughts. She hears your dreams.
"There must be no more She."
The Swords find themselves in this abandoned waystation. Filled with Mushroom Creatures and an air filled with thought-broadcasting spores. If whatever monsters await the Swords down below don't kill them, they might just be at each other's throat soon enough.
Don't think.. Don't think..
Don't think.. Don't think..
Don't think.. Don't think..
Don't think.. Don't think..
Following her instincts and voices from Dale, Gwen dives deeper into this mysterious cavern. A cave full of illusory magics and expired adventurers.. Hope the Swords brought their spelunking gear..
The Swords finally made time to rest in this abandoned camp, trying to ignore the darkness just beyond the trees that always watches and waits for the right moment.. That moment could just be your very next..
Hot on the trail of earlier adventurers, Gwen leads the swords to an abandoned camp. Hopefully, the things found here are enough to reveal the truth behind these happenings in the north.
Left in the wake of the argument, Joxxer and Krigs make camp and wait for the hopeful return of their friends. Passing the time is all they can do for now.. Have You heard of 52 pickup?
Long is the road and painful is the journey. There's only so long one can stand before the toll must be paid.
With visions swirling through the mind of Gwen, our Swords must carry on. What were these visions? What was this dream?
It's strange how easy it is to find even more reasons to keep fighting when it would just be so easy to be let to exist. To not spend so much time and energy on "fixing" this world. But I see my friends, and I want the world to be a bit brighter for them.. and I see these goblins.. they deserve to be able to thrive.. I'm getting oh so very tired after all these years with no end to the madness of the world in sight.. But doing the right thing is often the most difficult path to take..
The fragility of life is something I think we try to forget. At least I know I do.. If I remembered how easy all of this can be taken away, would I fight? Would I be able to protect those dear to me? No.. No that can't be it.. We must remember. We must fight. Because we may not have tomorrow. I will fight for the weak, I will fight for love, and I will fight for you.. Until my last breath.
Stirring interrupting the silence of the night. Don't look now but we have unwelcome visitors..
As the Sun Sets on the Festivities in this Goblin Village, the Swords make sense of the secrets found and the stories told by the Goblin Elders..
There are memories that can feel so real.. You question your own sanity.. Thoughts that plague your mind so intensely that you believe the lies your eyes and ears tell you in the pale moonlight. Rest easy, Swords. Enjoy your festivities.. Have your night to shed the cares of the world.
As the Swords travel north, they're met with a familiar face. Hopefully, past transgressions can be overlooked and left back in Wildhill. This could also be a great opportunity to gauge what the landscape is they will be walking into in the near future.
Welcome Hirelings, to Season 2. We recommend Listening to Letters To Home for a Season 1 Recap before proceeding.
With Wildhill fallen and stood on the backs of new leadership, our swords do their part to bolster the foundations of Wildhill to be as successful and honorable as it can be. They know they must move on, for now, for there are more evils that they must face responsible for much of what happened in Wildhill.. To the North. In the untouched lands.
With the events that took place in Wildhill and beyond, our Swords take a moment to remember where they've been and how far they've come. In Letters To Home, you will find the thoughts and recollections of the party, as well as a Key member of Wildhill.
Hosted by @strrbuck, our cast and DM answer all your questions about Season One and all the juicy details leading up to Season 2!
With the finale approaching, we sit down and hash out the meaning of life.. All from the perspective of our characters.
We know what we must do, but the hardest part may still be yet to come. Hunters here have become so complacent with the way life is lived in Wildhill. It's easy. You take the job, you get paid, and you can sleep soundly knowing nothing more than that. But the happenings in Wildhill are unmistakable. If they can't see what's happening, it's by choice. Now to see if they'll even listen..
So many secrets have come to light after a discussion with Hurli. The answers to the problems in Wildhill have finally been discovered. Now to sort out how to handle the next steps..
The Swords set out to finally speak with Hurli. They've had the question, and they'll hopefully, finally get their answers.
Darkness is merely the absence of light. Where the fire of the fury of the wild ones burns, darkness simply cannot exist. I, Sophrin Emberoak, along with Joxxer, Davon, Gwendolyn, and Sir Dale, solemnly swear to bring the light back to Wildhill. To restore balance. To quell the oncoming storm. Sharp is the sword hired for nefarious chores, though beware, the sharpest blades are often two-sided.
Today was the day Salrin felt she was going to complete her task. She was going to get the Swords into the Wilds to answer the call. Ready or not, here we come.
What makes a hero? I'd always thought it was doing the right thing when it was required.. but I'm not so sure I can believe that anymore. Wildhill has been starting to get to me. What makes it my duty to right their wrongs? Why is my voice the one that should matter? Was Carmine right? Were we becoming what's to blame for the darkness in Wildhill? No, I can't believe that's true.. I do know though, I don't like what Wildhill is starting to do to all of us. - Krigs
With the ambush thwarted, we're left in the middle of the wilds with the assassin Carmine Stone and one of his Goblin compatriots. Pressing for information is sure to be a delicate balance, but cooperation aside, we still know this was a targeted attack.
We had finally done it. We had finally overstayed our welcome in Wildhill. Someone was clearly out to get us as a barrage of arrows and magic blades assault us from the trees. Goblins, surely under the employ of Darnaldi. We're outnumbered, but hopefully not outmatched. Gwen has shown her prowess as she embodies the animals of the wild. Davon has unleashed raw power from his own hands, weaving magic with ease. Joxxer has rained a flurry of fists and slashes with otherworldly speed and agility, and I, Krigs, I've used tactics and cunning to weigh the battle in our favor. But I still worry it might not be enough as, in the chaos, the ghost like-leader of this ambush emerges.
Finally, it seems answers are coming together for our swords. It does however feel like those with rank in Wildhill just turn a blind eye in fear of rocking the boat and being an outlier of the status quo. Pay that no mind for now. After what we witnessed with this beast and the black ooze, our focus is turned to Darnaldi and whoever is funding his operation. I'm sure they won't mind answering some questions for us.
Through the skies and above the trees, a moment of peace can be found. Peace from Monsters. Peace from the ghosts that haunt our dreams. Just the skies and our companions that we've been lucky enough to have by our side through too many difficult decisions. I fear that there will be many more decisions yet to make. But for now. we enjoy this peace in the freedom of the clouds for as long as we can.
Things that go bump in the night are often seen differently in the morning light. Curses might feel like blessings and blessings like a burden too heavy to bear. That fate is yet to be seen as we're left to gather our thoughts and prepare ourselves for what's yet to come. The only certainty we do have now is the turning wheels of Wildhill that have been altering the balance of life must be stopped. Sariah must not reach the next hunted prey before we do.
The swords settle into the Bogashack as each of them is visited by voices.. Voices in the night that tell tales.. Voices in the night that promise glory.. Voices in the night that beg and plead.. Voices that speak curses into existence..
Having made quite the splash in front of the Chief, the Swords must regroup, reassess their position in the town and decide what they can do to finally instate some change in the area. With the creatures and trees of the wilds being playthings for sport, there are those in Wildhill that meddle with powers they surely can't understand. Hopefully, it's not too late.
With various authorities in Wildhill on the lookout for Joxxer, the rest of the Swords must pull themselves together and keep appearances.. For now.. It won't be long before the tension in Wildhill has to give. Let's just hope we're long gone by then.
What's a name? Why are our honor and stories linked behind something so simple? Can we run from who we are, or is it our name that will always define us?
What monstrosity was this boar? It was a thing of nightmares. Surely someone in Wildhill is responsible for this. We must act and act fast before anyone else gets hurt. But first, reuniting Delmar and Francine must take priority.
With the stone beast vanquished and Delmar in tow our Swords set out for the long journey back through the wilds. Keeping Delmar reminiscing of better times seems to be keeping his darkness at bay. But for how long? A plan to reunite Delmar and Francine is paramount, but none of that may even matter if we cannot escort him through the Wilds.
With the monster of the mountain managed, the Swords must decide the next steps to ensure Delmar's safe travels home. With many wounds to treat and trust in Delmar still building, we wish to spend our first night on the road far from this prison and far under the stars.
Freed from the prison of his own making, our heroes must decide what to do with Delmar. Though, they can't just leave such a dangerous monster to run rampant if someone were to explore these ruins. The line in the sand must be drawn. Decisions made.
With a caged beast, our Swords must try their hardest to remind him what he's fighting for.. And he can remember that.. how will they get him out?
"I was in an all too familiar yet completely foreign room. A barracks that had been carved into this mountain but for the purpose of housing prisoners. Victims. This is not the war I knew. How could our leaders have let this happen? How could I have let this happen? What happened here? I don't care I just need to find Delmar and GET OUT of this hell-hole before whatever creature has been following us gets in my head again. Wait, what's that? A room behind this small hole in the wall? I can barely see in. Stand back... Oh gods, what have I done!?" - Krigs
A recap/interview episode with all of our cast and DM recounting our favorite moments of our early campaign.
Having investigated the Commander's quarters and finding logs scribbled out outlining the final days of Fortress functions, our Swords must make the difficult decision of how to proceed. Is there enough information to bring back to Francine to give her the answers she seeks, or shall we venture further in.. Into the mountain?
The Swords arrive at the Fortress of Delmar's last known location. Things appear quite grim as the scene unfolds before them. Is he still alive? Can he still be alive? We must find answers.
The Swords make their way to the Stone Mountains with little time to spare. Traveling through the night and into the day, the Mountains waste no time in reminding our heroes they demand respect. As beautiful as they can be deadly, our Swords finally find themselves face to face with the Fortress where Delmar was last known to be.
Strangers approach. Elven travelers seeking shelter. Will they have any answers for Gwen as she is looking for any thread that leads to her father? Continuing through the wilds has proven a daunting experience. Tricks and turns that leave our Hired Swords dismayed but not so discouraged they cannot carry on. Onward, to the Stone Mountains!
Krigs, Davon, Gwen and Joxxer continue through the Wilds set for The Stone Mountains. With days left to trek these forests caution is paramount as our Hired Swords find themselves being watched in the night. Of all the members in this small band of friends, Krigs counts the days with every step as the words "One Week" ring over and over in his mind.
Our heroes set out into the wilds with all signs pointed straight for the Stone Mountains. Seems misfortune is going to nip at the heels of these fateful few. A reminder of mortality that will shake one hero to their core.
Having accepted a contract from The Tower of Testing, Francine Einhorn tells a harrowing tale of her missing father Dilmar. Her story plucks the heartstrings of our heroes yet Krigs is apprehensive to return to the land he's spent much of his long life. Still, they agree to help Francine and prepare to set out for the Stone Mountains in search of Dilmar.
Determined to get to the bottom of what's happening in Wildhill, our adventurers set out to sign up for another job. What they didn't expect was to find a posting that hit Gwendolyn so close to home. Potentially divisive decisions must be made. Can our "heroes" neglect such an innocent and honest request?
A day spent around town, forging contingencies and making new "Friends." Krigs, Davon, Joxxer and Gwen form something of a pact bond to see this adventure through. Don't forget Dale though! Looking for information and investigation leads our gang to the bottom of a stein. Or two. Or three..
After receiving fortunes from Meredith Toliver, our heroes are greeted with the unwelcome stir of Marias losing his cool. Forced to deal with his temper, plans quickly form to ensure the success of the greater worries of the day. What does the Chief know? What's going on behind the scenes of Wildhill?
The rescue mission for Vip comes to an abrupt end.. Fears confirmed.. Anger stoked, our heroes must take a moment to gather their heads. That proves to be near impossible with a rage-filled Marias storming back to Wildhill. To find answers, our travelers visit the Widow Tolliver. Can they find the information they seek or do they only find more questions?
Surrounded by burrowed holes in the forests of Wildhill, Krigs and Gwendolyn devise a plan to try and rescue Vip. Are our heroes too late? Why were Marias, Edi and Vip sent out into the wilds to almost certain doom? What can be done?
Krigs, Davon, Gwen and Joxxer have followed Marias and Edi in the hunt for their friend Vip. They've stumbled on the creature's nest.. Many nests, actually. Can our heroes get to Vip in time?
Our gang makes their way to the Tower of Testing to confront the Chief of Wildhill. Tensions rise as the Chief shows some of his true colors. There's no time to deal with the Chief and whatever he might be up to. No, we must find Vip and save him from the claws of some unseen burrowing creature! Quick, we must hurry!
After terrible decisions were made our Hired Swords must come to grips with the path they've been set on. With regret setting in, trust in those back in Wildhill begins to falter. Outraged, the Hired Swords forge a plan of action. A plan for answers.
With Davon hanging on by a thread, quick decisions must be made if our heroes are to survive.. In the heat of battle, Joxxer displays his unique fighting style, much to the disbelief of the rest of our heroes. Will this battle make or break our brave adventurers?
Joxxer and Davon aren't satisfied to just settle in for the night. No, they have to go getting into trouble around town. Let's hope they're as good at fighting as they are at sneakin'! Then again.. they might be better at dying than they are at fighting! Let's find out together!
Welcome to Wildhill. Our adventurers roll into town and find things here aren't exactly as they expected. The party runs into each other, quite literally, by what might just be the forces of fate. Will our heroes have what it takes to become a member of the coveted group known as The Hired Swords?