Treats

Hi folks,

Wishing you the very best for the coming week from everyone at Rusty Towers!

Here in the UK things are beginning to look spring-like and we’re continuing to work towards the release of our new shows later this year. This past Friday, we bade a fond farewell to Rusty Quill Gaming with a small wrap party for all those involved in the show. While this does not yet mean the end of the RQG feed, we have now confirmed that the last episode of our post-season content will be released publically on 20th April 2022, with Chapter and Multiverse launching on a brand new feed the following week.

This week on our YouTube series, New Player Challenges, we will have a special bonus episode. In the fourth part of their Farming Simulator challenge, either Mike or Rhys will be crowned the winner and their prize will be revealed the following day. With a ‘treat yourself’ trip to a dessert shop on the line, will the pair make any last-minute changes to their tactics as they compete to make the most money from their farms? Find out on Wednesday. Next week, we’ll have a whole new game, a whole new challenge, and a whole new reward for the pair to compete for. Don’t forget to comment below each video with suggestions for rewards you think they should win!

Meanwhile on Enthusigasm this week we’re talking about mythology! Joining Helen this week is Becky Anniston, an award-winning games designer, Jon Ware, who writes I am in Eskew and The Silt Verses, Elizabeth Moffatt, an editor at Rusty Quill and Muna Hussen, who produces I am in Eskew and The Silt Verses. They’ll be discussing all things mythology – from the more well-known Greek and Norse stories to the myths of non-Western cultures.

Finally, to continue with our series of interviews with people who work across podcasting, this week we were lucky enough to speak to Alex C. Telander, the creator of the Ostium Podcast.

1. Tell us who you are and a bit about your podcast

My name is Alex C. Telander and during the day I deliver the post, but in my free time - which I don't get much of with two kids - I write fiction in a variety of genres from horror to fantasy to scifi to historical fiction. I've successfully done Nanowrimo a few times and have a few novels written, many short stories, but my real passion is writing audiodramas.

I am the creator and writer for the Ostium Podcast, a show about a secret town where there are no people but many doors that lead to different places in space and time, and one day Jake Fisher discovers this town by playing a game of GeoGuessr.

One of the spin-off shows to Ostium I write is the Circe Podcast, set on the distant planet of Albion. The Circe are magic-wielding sorceresses, and we learn of the Circe and Albion through the eyes of Thyra. The Circe Podcast is kind of Lord of the Rings except with a gay sorceress.

Another show I make is Writing Walks, where I go on walks in regional parks while recording my thoughts on writing, so you get to hear the sounds of nature while I give advice on creative writing.

And the last show I make is While There is Tea There is Hope. I make it with two Australian friends, where we talk about tea for hours, but also the history of tea and how three white blokes who have taken tea for granted for way too long are now educating themselves and the listeners on how tea has become one of the most popular drinks on the planet and the many lives and cultures it has affected greatly along the way.

You can find out all about my shows on the Ostium Network website.

2. What got you into podcasting?

When my first son was born eight years ago I started going on jogs to stimulate my creativity. I listened to audiobooks while jogging and decided to give podcasts a try, starting with Welcome to Night Vale, Limetown, The Black Tapes, and Archive 81. It opened a whole new world of creative fiction to me. And then I thought maybe I could have a go and came up with a simple idea. I had a good friend who I knew had a great voice in mind to voice the lead character, and then another friend to voice another character, and it all snowballed from there. After the first season, I really started world building, and now Ostium is five seasons strong with many more to come, as we currently work on season six. We also have two spin-off shows of Ostium, the Circe Podcast (mentioned above) and the Manifestations Podcast done by a friend and fan of the show. I have a number of other podcasts I'd like to make, but just need to find the time!

3. What are you most proud of about your podcast?

I am most proud of what Ostium has become. It started with a small idea and has grown into this creative behemoth that keeps generating new story ideas, spinoffs, and miniseries, and is such a joy to write for. Whenever I write for Ostium the characters just tell me the story and I feel like I'm just along for the ride. I love hearing from fans of the show; what they like about Ostium and get from it. I feel like I'm always thinking about the world of Ostium and excited to see where the stories and characters go next.

With our tea podcast, While There is Tea There is Hope, we all thought we knew a bit about tea, but soon learned we're just amateurs. Every episode we learn more about different kinds of tea, how they're grown and roasted and brewed, and most importantly the many cultures around the world involved in growing and making tea so the western world can enjoy it.

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Here is our full schedule for this week:

Mon 7th March

PETS 6 – Pets of Rusty Towers: Saboteurs (Patreon) (5pm GMT)

Tue 8th March

RQG – Roman Rogues Return Part 2 (Patreon) (4pm GMT)

Wed 9th March

RQG – Roman Rogues Return Part 2 (Public) (4pm GMT)

NPC 4 – Farming Simulator 22 Part 4 (Patreon) (7pm GMT)

Thu 10th March

EGSM 26 – Mythology (Extended Cut) (Patreon) (4pm GMT)

NPC 5 – Farming Simulator Reward Bonus Episode (Patreon) (7pm GMT)

NPC 4 – Farming Simulator 22 Part 4 (Public) (7pm GMT)

Fri 11th March

NOBLES Bonus – INEX Music Chat (4pm GMT)

EGSM 26 – Mythology (Public) (4pm GMT)

Sat 12th March

Weekend Puzzle (Patreon) (9am GMT)

Have a good week all!

The Rusty Quill team