The Penumbra Podcast

If you had asked Erin Marshall D’Arc, the Free Dome was supposed to be for everyone. Anyone who wanted a home away from the War, she said, could have it. If you had asked Marshall Erin D’Arc, the Free Dome was only for the best of the best. Only those who could create paradise, he said, could have it. If you ask Mayor Pilot Pereyra, the Free Dome belongs to the highest bidder. Whoever finds it, th...

This case was supposed to be simple. Go into the Old Subway system, figure out what Mayor Pereyra is trying to get, stop them from getting it, then go home to a parade and a new world order. But now three days have passed, and the election looms, and still Juno, Alessandra, the Piranha, and Pilot Pereyra are down here, waiting for something in the distance. It seemed like it was going to be simple...

The story goes that two hundred years ago, when the War was at its most brutal, Erin Marshall D’Arc made the most important discovery in Martian history… and never shared it with anyone. An election always makes itself about the present, and so Juno Steel never expected that this case would bring him two centuries into the past. Yet here he is, on the trail of Mayor Pilot Pereyra, with a Private E...

Special threats deserve special measures, and Queen Mira of the Second Citadel is a master of special measures. Enter Sir Caroline: a free radical knight, one of the Queen’s most capable and least trustworthy, and most likely the only hope the Second Citadel has of surviving the scourge of manipulative monsters that has plagued them for months. Sir Caroline, newly-appointed Investigator-General of...

Late at night in the Museum of Colonized History, just a few short days before the election that will decide the fate of Hyperion City, Juno Steel is watching the Mayor participate in a heist gone horribly, horribly wrong. And typically a heist not going well would be great news for Juno Steel, Private Eye… if only his bust of that heist hadn’t also just gone belly-up. The crooks will escape in ha...

“Look for a woman with one ear outside the First Museum of Colonized History in Hyperion City.” That’s what the notice said to Yasmin Swift, both culprit and victim of Juno Steel’s last case. And ever since, Juno has been looking for that woman: for a month straight, while the clock ticks down, while the election creeps ever closer. He needs to find her, and quickly, if he hopes to keep Ramses O’F...

On the third morning of the Festival of the Three, Sir Marc knew nothing of Sir Damien’s duels with the Lord of the Swamp. Sir Marc’s problems lay closer to his heart – or brain, as the case may be. Because Sir Marc's condition requires medication, and medication is hard to come by out in the wilds. Luckily, Sir Marc has a medical professional on his side: Rilla, the herbalist of the Second Ci...

Your favorite queers Sophie and Kevin get together to update y’all on some exciting developments for The Penumbra Podcast, wile you with donation bonuses, make some special announcements, and learn a few lessons along the way. Rated PG-I6, for Pretty Good, I 6uess. For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, yo...

Illusions run wild in Polaris Park, whether they be holograms or robotics or secrets and lies. But here's something that's not illusory: Juno and Rita are in danger. Security chief Yasmin Swift, who was supposedly leading the investigation on a killing, is apparently the culprit... and until Juno and Rita find out where, how, and why she did it, every thrill in this theme park may be their...

Someone is out to kill Ramses O'Flaherty -- and whoever they are, they should be here. A killer called this home, but it isn't any kind of home Juno's ever seen before. This is a place where the impossible happens, where an ancient heroine walks the streets, where dragons live on every mountaintop... and where nothing is ever as it seems. Welcome to Polaris Park. And welcome to the Pen...

On the second night of the Festival of the Three, Sir Damien the knight will be dueling on Lord Arum the monster’s terms: in a forest of tricks and traps and cunning biological inventions. Sir Damien may have bested Lord Arum in a physical duel, but he certainly isn’t prepared for the sorts of challenges a second meeting with the monster will pose… but to be fair, Lord Arum isn’t prepared, either....

The Festival of the Three is the most important day of the year in the Second Citadel – or the most important three days, as the case may be. Battles and music and drink run free in Citadel’s square, and nearly every knight is in attendance… which leaves very few to guard from the monsters’ constant threat. Luckily Sir Damien is on guard tonight, standing outside the Queen’s chambers with his trus...

Mick Mercury is a walking disaster, and appropriately enough, he’s picked a disaster of a case to drop in on. In his attempt to prevent a murder, Juno Steel’s added two potential victims: Mick Mercury… and himself. Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your journey. You can find transcripts for all of our episodes here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OLddnnYamZuglgZc8p...

Working for a man as connected as Ramses O’Flaherty means access to places nobody else gets to go… or wants to, as it turns out. Because on this case Ramses is sending Juno into the Fortezza, Hyperion City’s prison for criminal genius, to stop a murder before it can be committed. Who’s the victim, you ask? Well… Ramses, of course. Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your jour...

In an overgrown jungle where monsters roam free lies the Second Citadel, one of humanity’s last strongholds in a hostile, hungry world. The people of the Citadel live their lives on the edge of a knife – knowing that any day a beast might storm their homes, knowing that now and forever the monsters are planning the final assault that will end humanity for good. The only defense against a world tha...

Juno Steel’s first day back on the job has started well: he’s outnumbered, cornered, and almost certainly going to be killed any second now. Just life as usual in the PI business. This case may be typical, but the solution will prove anything but. The mystery, after all, is one of the strangest Juno has ever encountered: who kidnaps a woman’s cat… just to replace it with an exact copy of the one t...

Detective Steel is in a slump, and Maia King might have just the case to bring him out of it. One problem: half the case is going to be figuring out what the case even is, because if Ms. King is to be believed, the culprit would have to be… well, something that doesn’t exist. The stakes are life-or-death here… so hopefully Juno can figure out whose life or death before time runs out. Welcome to th...

Enough Travelers asked for a full tour of the Penumbra Hotel that not even the Concierge can say no. We hope you're ready for a long haul: it's a very big hotel, and strange things lurk inside it. But be careful what you wish for, Traveler. Some stones, once turned, can never be returned... and some changes can't be undone. Attribution: "Kind of Girl" by Jeris, featuring spinni...

When Blair Rockridge, Olympus Mons trillionaire, receives a letter from a thief threatening to steal her priceless collection, she immediately calls in the best private detective money can buy. Granted, he is a little eccentric--but he's the best there is, isn't he? “Coins” by lawnjelly http://www.freesound.org/people/lawnjelly/sounds/156891/ “Tearing fabric 2” by JakLocke http://www.frees...

A late-night crime on Christmas Eve gets Mary Anne and Chance Sequoyah a whole lot of trouble... and a visitor that neither of them could have expected. With Patreon, you can support us by scheduling a small donation for each episode we release. If you’d like to show the artists behind the Penumbra that you appreciate their work, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=3386677 Attributi...

A thrilling adventure in the life of Rita, Private Eye. Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay. If you miss us between episodes, remember to follow us on Facebook (The Penumbra Podcast), Twitter (@thepenumbrapod), and our website (thepenumbrapodcast.com) for updates, information about the cast and crew, and irresistible witticisms. With Patreon, you can support us by s...

In the wake of Season 1, Noah Simes (voice of Peter Nureyev) interviews co-creators Sophie Kaner and Kevin Vibert using questions submitted via Twitter, Tumblr, and email by YOU, the fans! How do we cast the show? What stories are we inspired by? What is it like to play characters who are in love? And most importantly of all, will Peter Nureyev ever return? (Plus: stay tuned until the end of the Q...

In all likelihood, this is the end. The only question is: the end of how much? The end of Juno Steel… that’s pretty likely. Alone in a Martian tomb, Peter Nureyev gone, and Miasma’s experiments drawing to a close. Juno will outlive his usefulness any minute now, and if Miasma has her way he won’t outlive for long. And if it’s the end of Juno Steel it may well be the end of Mars, too: with Miasma’s...

Who is Peter Nureyev? The question has dogged Juno Steel, Private Eye for six months now, ever since he first met that master of disguises. It doesn’t help that he changes identities like most people change clothes: Rex Glass, Duke Rose, Miasma’s anonymous “the Thief…” How is Juno supposed to know who he is? How is Juno supposed to trust him? He needs to know he can, because the clock is ticking....

Who is Peter Nureyev? The question has dogged Juno Steel, Private Eye for six months now, ever since he first met that master of disguises. It doesn’t help that he changes identities like most people change clothes: Rex Glass, Duke Rose, Miasma’s anonymous “the Thief…” How is Juno supposed to know who he is? How is Juno supposed to trust him? He needs to know he can, because the clock is ticking....