Tickets, TTRPGs, and Triumvirate Tampering

Hi folks,

We have a great week coming up here at Rusty Towers!

Firstly, a quick reminder to our Rusty Knights and Nobles that tickets to our in-person celebration for the premiere of The Magnus Protocol will be available at 10am BST on Wednesday. Tickets are limited, so keep an eye out for updates here on Patreon and on Kickstarter for when they go live.

Next up, we’re delighted to welcome a new show to the RQ Network: Wireland Ranch, a psychedelic cosmic horror audio drama. A crumbling shack in an alternate version of the Mojave Desert that houses the heartbeat at the centre of the universe. Long ago, the heart was diminished when new gods usurped the throne and began their own type of reign. They battled and bickered, causing tragedies, mass rituals, and monied black magic. Now, it seems that history is coming to a head and our spoiled gods are fighting harder than they have ever fought before.

In the centre of this are three humans: An unwitting delivery driver turned host for the parasitic heart or the universe. A disgraced drug addicted private investigator retracing the driver’s steps. Lastly our narrator, an Archaeologist digging it all up 5000 years from now.

As always, we were delighted to speak to the creator, Joseph Rutledge, for a Patreon-exclusive interview.

Tell us who you are and a bit about Wireland Ranch.

My name is Joseph Rutledge and I make the show Wireland Ranch, a psychedelic cosmic horror audio experience. We cover themes of the real-life terror of marketing, public relations, leased politicians, discrimination, capitalism, and poverty through the lens of an interdimensional antenna that houses gods formed of human vice and other powerful energies.

What got you into podcasting?

I got into podcasting because I had crates and crates worth of writing that was going nowhere, and audio seemed to be the best (and most affordable) way to get it out into the world. Audio Drama requires a certain level of resourcefulness and trouble shooting that I find lines up with my personality and approach to creativity, so I ran with it. And I am very glad I did.

What are you most proud about Wireland Ranch?

The thing I am most proud of in regard to Wireland Ranch is the level of audio experimentation and the music. I approach making the show a lot like I’d imagine William Burroughs approaches writing getting weird to the point of discomfort and then pulling back just enough to have that discomfort fall away AND THEN bring it back as hard as I can to make the audience feel the same negative emotions so many people experience everyday just within the cycles of their lives. Because all in all Wireland Ranch is an amalgamation of what it is to be poor in America and the causes behind shared poverty, both intellectual and financial.

You can listen to Wireland Ranch wherever you find podcasts, or on the Rusty Quill website. If you enjoy the show, please consider leaving a review or rating, as this is the best way to support the podcasts you love!

In news from outside Rusty Quill, Monte Cook will be launching their crowdfunding campaign for the official The Magnus Archives TTRPG imminently. We’ve said this before, but we’re so impressed by the care and dedication the team at Monte Cook have put into the game and the artwork. We think this will be a really exciting campaign for any fan of The Magnus Archives and the game itself is shaping up to be something really special. If you’re interested in the campaign, make sure you’ve signed up on Monte Cook’s backerkit to get a notification as soon as the campaign goes live, as well as an exclusive gift when you pledge at any reward level: a Magnus Institute audio cassette tape.

(Image description: A promo image for The Magnus Archives Roleplaying game, created by Monte Cook. Two editions of the Roleplaying game book are superimposed on an illustration of a messy desk. The desk has a tape player, a cassette, a pen, a takeaway coffee cup, and a pile of books. Text at the bottom reads: Crowdfunding August 29th through September 22nd.)

Meanwhile, this week on Cry Havoc the triumvirate are trying to recover some popularity points after the botched hostage rescue. Octavia has finished a play she is truly proud of, but Quintus has a curveball for her… Then on Friday our bonus is another episode of our Backstage series. This week, Lowri and guests will be discussing SFX and soundscaping.

Here is our full schedule for this week:

Tuesday 29th August

ROME 13 – The Prodvcers (Patreon) (4pm BST)

The Magnus Archives Roleplaying Game – Crowdfunding Begins

Wednesday 30th August

Magnus Protocol In-Person Premiere Ticket Sale (Patreon and Kickstarter) (10am BST)

Thursday 31st August

ROME 13 – The Prodvcers (Public) (4pm BST)

Friday 1st September

KNIGHTS+ bonus – Backstage: Editing SFX (Patreon) (4pm BST)

Have a good week all!

The Rusty Quill team