Celebrating the End

Hi folks,

Wishing you a very Magnus Monday from us at Rusty Towers; hope you’re all keeping well and are getting ready for this week’s conclusion. What started on 24th March 2016 as a simple anthology of creepy stories has built to this thrilling end! 199 episodes and five years, and it’s all come to this point. What fate lies in store for The Magnus Archives?

Find out on Thursday at 4pm.

As there will be no early access release for Episode 200, we’ve decided to bring forward the early access release of this week’s episode of Stellar Firma, so that will be in the Wednesday early access slot at 4pm instead.

Also as a heads up, Helen will be returning to RQ Streams this week with an Easter-themed baking stream, on Friday at 1pm GMT, as she tries her hand at making hot cross buns and koulourakia, which are buttery Greek Easter cookies. So tune in for tasty times this Friday lunchtime!

As for the big event itself… This is the first of our audio drama series to come to an end. And it’s been quite a wild ride, from Jonny’s initial pitch, through workshopping the ideas and planning meetings in lounges & the back rooms of pubs. From first cuts with recording screams under blankets through disco ball corridors to studio stability and then remote recordings. From posting those first trailers and hype whilst on holiday in Cornwall and wondering if anyone would listen to the tremendous outpouring of love and community for the show that we see today.

Thank you from all of us to all of you who have supported us through the years, be you listeners who’ve been there since the beginning or who have only recently picked up the show. We’re all very grateful and look forward to building on that support and success with future ventures.

As for what happens after the episode… well, I can tell you emotions will certainly be running high at Rusty Towers. And to send the day off in style, why not come and join us over on Twitch where we’ll be running a special livestream in honour of the finale. From 5pm GMT til late, join a variety of the crew as they drop in to celebrate the finale! Things we’ve got on the card for the evening include:

- “in-character” games of Among Us, as folks get sus with the characters they played or choose to impersonate…

- The Huge Chonkin’ Magnus Quiz of the Season, as we quiz folks on trivia from across the series.

- Jackbox party games where we’ll be taking on some themed Quiplash packs!

So, tune in over at www.twitch.tv/rusty_quill from 5pm GMT on Thursday and hopefully we can help celebrate the end & wind down from the finale together!

And though the curtains may be closing on the show proper, there is still plenty to come on the feed even after Episode 200, we’re not heading into the dark just yet! Starting next week, expect to see a whole host of post-series content as we cast our minds and eyes back over the series and the last 5 years of production.

We’ll be starting off with a season debrief of sorts as I slip into the host chair once more to talk to Jonny, Lowri, Alex and Elizabeth about The Making of Season 5. And in subsequent weeks, we’ll have the crew putting Jonny & Alex on the spot with some questions of their own, a look back at the writing and themes of the show overall, commentary on some of the fan favourite clips that you submitted, another episode of What the Ghost?, the winners of Rusty Fears 4, and the grand answering of all your questions in the Season 5 Q&A.

Speaking of which, the mailbag for Season 5 questions is now open – and you can submit your question here! This form will stay open until Saturday 3rd April, so please get your query in by then. Due to a high volume of questions expected, we’re asking that folks please limit themselves to one question only. As ever, due to time or content, we won’t be able to answer every question, alas, so apologies in advance if are unable to answer yours.

And we mentioned last week, that we’ll have even more art designs up on our Redbubble and Teepublic storefronts to help send the show out in style. All the new pieces will be live once the episode drops on Thursday, so you can go check them out from then. We previewed a few of the new images last week, and I pleased to be able to show off one more piece while we wait – from new artist Laura Alyce, whose tattoo-style piece is inspired by the Season 5 trailer…

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Tattoo-style art, delicate teacup decorated with flowers, has a strange many-legged, many-eyed, many-stalked shaggy spheroid emerging from it. Text on a ribbon beneath says “You Are My Reason”]

Also quick reminder that Daylight Savings Time differences are still in effect between the UK and other parts of the world, so please continue to check show release timings for you time zone, so as not to miss out.

Here's what you can expect from us this week (all shows release at 4pm UK time, unless otherwise stated):

Tue 23rd March
RQG189 – Grappling with Reality * (Patreon)

Wed 24th March
STL067 – Sagacity and Social Mobility (Patreon)
RQG189 – Grappling with Reality * (Public)
RQ Streams – Nico plays… Limbo (5pm)

Thu 25th March
MAG200 – Last Words (Patreon / Public)
RQ Streams – RQ Celebrates… The Magnus Archives! (5pm)

Fri 26th March
RQGG20 Bonus Video – Ask Alex Anything (1pm, YouTube)
RQ Streams – Helen bakes… Hot cross buns & Greek Easter biscuits (1pm)
Knight / Noble Bonus – RQGaming / These Flimsy Rituals Crossover, Part 2
STL067 – Sagacity and Social Mobility (Public)

Sat 27th March
RQ Streams – Mike plays… Skyrim (4pm)

* Indicates provisional title, subject to change

Have a good week all!

Anil
Community Manager