Secret Hearth

In our 2019 Yule special, we gather 'round the hearth for some winter rest and question answering. Our tale will continue in 2020!

From an inscription carved along an alabaster pillar inside a dark chamber - A HAUNTED HOLLOW OUTSIDE AND INSIDE TIME OUTSIDE AND INSIDE ETHER WHERE SPIRITS WALK AND FOLK WALK AND WITHIN ITS EMBRACE, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE WHERE ARE THE ANSWERS, BUT AMONG THE REFLECTIONS OF PAST AND FUTURE

We've come upon a very curious people, hidden in the heart of the Crystal Woods. They are teal skinned, and share features of the forest beasts around them. They call out to each other in a beautiful language of bird calls and chirps, and have come to name each other after the birds of the forest. Most peculiar is the boy - one-legged and bluntly speaking in our tongue, who acts as their leader an...

An excerpt from the works of Pascal Warrin, curator of minerals - "This metal - it is not null, like the Pale, but it does not hold magic. It is not the lack of it ether within it that concerns me, but the manner in which it erases the ether. This is a sort of compound that is the opposite of ether in many ways. The heavens have bestowed it upon us, not the earth, and so I must propose a rejection...

Goodbye, my love. You were the ranger that charted the East. You were the archivist of the lost tomes. You were the true light Yottle needed, when the shade king's rule proved too much for us. It was the time of heroes because you were there. Your bow, your spectacles, your spells and tricks. The walls of Sunbeam are your legacy. Your bonds tied the ether together when they all yelled out, "it is...

Captain Corub, We've found but one. It sleeps beneath the old Cunning Folk's library, in the heart of the Greenwyck Ruins. It's a lesser Shade, and will keep hold of what little safety it can. It is no Shade King - no Sea - and will not make a move. For now, it's safe. Entering into the library will not be an option for any band of scavenger or scholar. They will surely die by its hand. But if you...

Azazel - The lizard thinks, and speaks, and plots. It might've been used for some evil purpose, had we not have found it first. Primordial beasts such as these are powerful, undying things. From what I know, they are easily impressionable. It has already taken to my books and scrolls, reading through them, learning and absorbing. It's rather cute. Our labyrinth of secrets and ink is a rightful hom...

Galadriel - They seem pure of heart. They may be older than the trees themselves. You are right to say they deserve a visit, but I will stay away and wait for your presence to make true introductions. I may in fact not show myself at all. Their ways are unknown to me, and bewildering. They are so old that they very well might remember the birth of trees, or the arrival of them, to Yottle. Their he...

In a very special Halloween episode, Secret Hearth sits down to play Gas Mask Game's slasher RPG The Final Girl. It's 1990-something, and a gang of teens are sneaking into the mall theater after dark to watch a childhood classic on the big screen. It's their last time together before moving away from their home town, and they're looking for a dose of autumn nostalgia. The future, unfortunately, is...

My dear Beatrice - I write to you with the deepest of respects, but the doubts must flow from my tongue nonetheless, even if it is worse for the already loose thread which binds us. Ours is a relationship which must fall to the wayside over the importance of our future. Few can lay claim to being as wild or powerful as yourself, but a passion for the heartwoods and oration is not a tool of teachin...

A brush with a pair of especially dangerous scissors leave them shaken, but books need read and secrets need uncovered. Maps, mysterious switches, and magical memories await our heroes as they make their way to the top of the library.

Further delving into the dim depths of the Cunning Folk ruin, they come face-to-face with two monsters, each of a different sort.

They move into the innards of the library, delving into deep secrets and discovering forgotten creatures.

They enter the library. Dark beings and otherworldly sights await them. Ancient corpses litter the floor. In this labyrinthine cathedral of tomes and parchments, will they find the answers they seek?

With key in hand and seed primed to plant, the trio approach the doors to the Greenwyck library. Emerald questions his true nature. Herbert shares secrets with a fellow alchemist. Echo performs a ritual of growth.

After investigating the mysterious chamber, the trio retreats to Hornswaggle's house to rest and recover. Emerald takes a bath. Herbert sets his sights on Alemander. Echo does some spying.

Delving deeper into Greenwyck's ruins, the Watchtower trio face off against a strange and shadowy spirit.

Armed with magic mushrooms and holy magic, the trio navigate the haunted hospice. The key to library is hidden somewhere within, guarded by the betrayed spirits of Greenwyck.

With ghosts of all sorts at every turn, the trio enter the ruins of Greenwyck. Emerald sees a vision of ages lost past. Echo prepares to deal with dark forces. Herbert goes looting with the help of his magic beans.

As they recover from their battle, the Watchtower trio begins their voyage to Greenwyck's fabled library. Echo speaks with her sister by firelight. Herbert voices his doubts about Watchtower. EE leads the way with his tattoos.

EE and Echo chase Eleanor into the cloud of ash while Herbert rages on. The brunt of the battle is over, but the queen is still on the board. Can the trio survive?

Ambushed and separated, they face off against Eleanor and her Muck Men.

Further speaking with the Wizard of the Ether and Zanira, the Watchtower dwells on what they've learned and consider their next move. EE continues his training. Herbert makes a trade. Echo hears a familiar voice.

Among a strange grove, the trio ask some big questions and listen to some old stories. Herbert shares his drink with some amphibians. Echo investigates a flickering cavern. EE duels with his master.

Further exploring the Flicker Thicket, the trio happen upon an ancient ruin.