https://simplecast.com Cool Story Guys is a creative writing podcast and fantasy adventure audiobook where major plot points are determined by RPG-style dice rolls. Join hosts Jeff and Ethan for humorous discussions about the storytelling process and an ongoing collaborative fantasy tale inspired by the unpredictability of role-playing games and actual play podcasts. 2022 en Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:10:00 +0000 Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:10:11 +0000 https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/459fe168-8c7e-401a-9ef6-0377b2335123/9bca66cd-dcef-4bf0-891f-7ed61800e846/3000x3000/csg-podcast-logo.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ serial Cool Story Guys is a creative writing podcast and fantasy adventure audiobook where major plot points are determined by RPG-style dice rolls. Join hosts Jeff and Ethan for humorous discussions about the storytelling process and an ongoing collaborative fantasy tale inspired by the unpredictability of role-playing games and actual play podcasts. Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses no https://feeds.simplecast.com/bKbs3xjL actual play, fantasy audiobook, audiobook, role-playing games, creative writing, storytelling, d&d, dungeons & dragons, fantasy, fantasy story, rpg, writing prompt, fantasy writing, humor, writing Jeff Kirby and Ethan Moses thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com cded20ef-84ee-445f-be64-683af73a65e6 In the Season Two finale, we take a final, comprehensive look at our spooky multidimensional caveman epic: Beyond the Mirror. Other topics include figuring out which “big energies” we tapped into over the course of the story, other titles that didn’t make the cut, and why Ethan decided to make the book’s final antagonists an army of gentrifying sadness monsters.

]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:10:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ In the Season Two finale, we take a final, comprehensive look at our spooky multidimensional caveman epic: Beyond the Mirror. Other topics include figuring out which “big energies” we tapped into over the course of the story, other titles that didn’t make the cut, and why Ethan decided to make the book’s final antagonists an army of gentrifying sadness monsters.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E29: Marked for Sacrifice Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:33:25 In the Season Two finale, we take a final, comprehensive look at our spooky multidimensional caveman epic: Beyond the Mirror. Other topics include figuring out which “big energies” we tapped into over the course of the story, other titles that didn’t make the cut, and why Ethan decided to make the book’s final antagonists an army of gentrifying sadness monsters. In the Season Two finale, we take a final, comprehensive look at our spooky multidimensional caveman epic: Beyond the Mirror. Other topics include figuring out which “big energies” we tapped into over the course of the story, other titles that didn’t make the cut, and why Ethan decided to make the book’s final antagonists an army of gentrifying sadness monsters. dungeons & dragons, thanos, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ann coulter, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, gentrification, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 29 2 94694279-0f6e-4910-884d-d7414926b34a The group prepares to move on to Torv's world, but before they can leave the ruins of Orn behind, they discover what the Harvester had planned for them all along. 

]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ The group prepares to move on to Torv's world, but before they can leave the ruins of Orn behind, they discover what the Harvester had planned for them all along. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E28: Chapter Fourteen - From Beyond Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:36:11 The group prepares to move on to Torv's world, but before they can leave the ruins of Orn behind, they discover what the Harvester had planned for them all along. The group prepares to move on to Torv's world, but before they can leave the ruins of Orn behind, they discover what the Harvester had planned for them all along. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 28 2 025f6168-747f-4431-a4a2-927deb6dd406 With pretty much all of our bad guys dead following the climax of the story, we take a look back at all of the antagonistic forces from the book and rank them from dumbest to best. Other topics include whether or not we inadvertently made our main character a Thanos, Jeff’s asinine internal battle of efficiency versus originality, and Ethan’s deep-seated fears concerning other men, bourbon, and barbecue. 

]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ With pretty much all of our bad guys dead following the climax of the story, we take a look back at all of the antagonistic forces from the book and rank them from dumbest to best. Other topics include whether or not we inadvertently made our main character a Thanos, Jeff’s asinine internal battle of efficiency versus originality, and Ethan’s deep-seated fears concerning other men, bourbon, and barbecue. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E27: Competitive Memorial Service Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:38:30 With pretty much all of our bad guys dead following the climax of the story, we take a look back at all of the antagonistic forces from the book and rank them from dumbest to best. Other topics include whether or not we inadvertently made our main character a Thanos, Jeff’s asinine internal battle of efficiency versus originality, and Ethan’s deep-seated fears concerning other men, bourbon, and barbecue. With pretty much all of our bad guys dead following the climax of the story, we take a look back at all of the antagonistic forces from the book and rank them from dumbest to best. Other topics include whether or not we inadvertently made our main character a Thanos, Jeff’s asinine internal battle of efficiency versus originality, and Ethan’s deep-seated fears concerning other men, bourbon, and barbecue. dungeons & dragons, thanos, villains, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, applebees, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 27 2 3f287c18-85f6-46de-bf06-fa572ecc9fbe Before the group can even hope to stop the Ghora, they have to find it first. Following the monster's path, they discover the scale of destruction Ja has inadvertently unleashed on Orn. 

]]> Tue, 23 May 2023 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Before the group can even hope to stop the Ghora, they have to find it first. Following the monster's path, they discover the scale of destruction Ja has inadvertently unleashed on Orn. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E26: Chapter Thirteen - The Fire on the Mountain Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:46:52 Before the group can even hope to stop the Ghora, they have to find it first. Following the monster's path, they discover the scale of destruction Ja has inadvertently unleashed on Orn. Before the group can even hope to stop the Ghora, they have to find it first. Following the monster's path, they discover the scale of destruction Ja has inadvertently unleashed on Orn. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 26 2 e4a6781f-dce9-4136-a24b-5ebc7625f654 Because we have dragged our protagonists back to their miserable home world, we explore the idea of homecoming in our real lives and try to figure out which of our personal traumas we have projected onto the story. Other topics include the futility of trying to explain magic, finding the right balance between being corny and sensible, and how all of Ethan’s early courtships started and ended at Applebees.

]]> Tue, 23 May 2023 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Because we have dragged our protagonists back to their miserable home world, we explore the idea of homecoming in our real lives and try to figure out which of our personal traumas we have projected onto the story. Other topics include the futility of trying to explain magic, finding the right balance between being corny and sensible, and how all of Ethan’s early courtships started and ended at Applebees.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E25: TGI Fridays but Without the Depth Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:36:22 Because we have dragged our protagonists back to their miserable home world, we explore the idea of homecoming in our real lives and try to figure out which of our personal traumas we have projected onto the story. Other topics include the futility of trying to explain magic, finding the right balance between being corny and sensible, and how all of Ethan’s early courtships started and ended at Applebees. Because we have dragged our protagonists back to their miserable home world, we explore the idea of homecoming in our real lives and try to figure out which of our personal traumas we have projected onto the story. Other topics include the futility of trying to explain magic, finding the right balance between being corny and sensible, and how all of Ethan’s early courtships started and ended at Applebees. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, tgi fridays, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, applebees, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, homecoming, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 25 2 024e46d9-fe5c-4e09-840d-8b27b214a946 As the group transports the mirror shard back to Orn, they see the devastation they have caused by traveling from world to world. 

]]> Tue, 2 May 2023 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ As the group transports the mirror shard back to Orn, they see the devastation they have caused by traveling from world to world. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E24: Chapter Twelve - Reality Collapses Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:27:49 As the group transports the mirror shard back to Orn, they see the devastation they have caused by traveling from world to world. As the group transports the mirror shard back to Orn, they see the devastation they have caused by traveling from world to world. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 24 2 637f352c-d92d-4a9d-90cd-a5e6c836ac81 Forced to use an "eerie" Fate Index submission on one of our protagonists, we discuss how we would cope with similar weird changes in our real lives. Other topics include how farts are a great catalyst for transformation, deciding when a story needs to slow down the pace, and big sacrifices like Randy Quaid in the blockbuster film Independence Day. 

]]> Tue, 2 May 2023 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Forced to use an "eerie" Fate Index submission on one of our protagonists, we discuss how we would cope with similar weird changes in our real lives. Other topics include how farts are a great catalyst for transformation, deciding when a story needs to slow down the pace, and big sacrifices like Randy Quaid in the blockbuster film Independence Day. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E23: Is Jeff Invisible Again? Because It Smells Horrible Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:32:46 Forced to use an "eerie" Fate Index submission on one of our protagonists, we discuss how we would cope with similar weird changes in our real lives. Other topics include how farts are a great catalyst for transformation, deciding when a story needs to slow down the pace, and big sacrifices like Randy Quaid in the blockbuster film Independence Day. Forced to use an "eerie" Fate Index submission on one of our protagonists, we discuss how we would cope with similar weird changes in our real lives. Other topics include how farts are a great catalyst for transformation, deciding when a story needs to slow down the pace, and big sacrifices like Randy Quaid in the blockbuster film Independence Day. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, transformation, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, independence day film, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 23 2 cb8e9585-3621-4ef7-a9a4-16baa37049a8 The group of unlikely companions travel together to an idyllic island while they wait for the Harvester's return, but even in paradise, Ja can't escape the mistakes of his past.

]]> Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ The group of unlikely companions travel together to an idyllic island while they wait for the Harvester's return, but even in paradise, Ja can't escape the mistakes of his past.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E22: Chapter Eleven - Untying the Knot Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:31:40 The group of unlikely companions travel together to an idyllic island while they wait for the Harvester's return, but even in paradise, Ja can't escape the mistakes of his past. The group of unlikely companions travel together to an idyllic island while they wait for the Harvester's return, but even in paradise, Ja can't escape the mistakes of his past. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 22 2 87f99449-2d54-4ba1-ab81-5d5f8e163447 Which animals would we follow into a deep, dark hole? We discuss which of nature's children are the most trustworthy. Other topics include whether or not Ethan is actually a bunch of bugs in a man suit, playing fast and loose with our Fate Index rolls, and not wanting to overwrite a gross scene because someone will inevitably use it to scratch a kinky itch.

]]> Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Which animals would we follow into a deep, dark hole? We discuss which of nature's children are the most trustworthy. Other topics include whether or not Ethan is actually a bunch of bugs in a man suit, playing fast and loose with our Fate Index rolls, and not wanting to overwrite a gross scene because someone will inevitably use it to scratch a kinky itch.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E21: The Trust Hole Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:31:12 Which animals would we follow into a deep, dark hole? We discuss which of nature's children are the most trustworthy. Other topics include whether or not Ethan is actually a bunch of bugs in a man suit, playing fast and loose with our Fate Index rolls, and not wanting to overwrite a gross scene because someone will inevitably use it to scratch a kinky itch. Which animals would we follow into a deep, dark hole? We discuss which of nature's children are the most trustworthy. Other topics include whether or not Ethan is actually a bunch of bugs in a man suit, playing fast and loose with our Fate Index rolls, and not wanting to overwrite a gross scene because someone will inevitably use it to scratch a kinky itch. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, trust, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, animals, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 21 2 55ba2f46-c54a-4613-b61b-dfa369a7deab Ja hears a voice in his head that confirms his suspicions about the Harvester and follows it underground to build a questionable new alliance. 

]]> Tue, 4 Apr 2023 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Ja hears a voice in his head that confirms his suspicions about the Harvester and follows it underground to build a questionable new alliance. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E20: Chapter Ten - A Noble Cause Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:27:19 Ja hears a voice in his head that confirms his suspicions about the Harvester and follows it underground to build a questionable new alliance. Ja hears a voice in his head that confirms his suspicions about the Harvester and follows it underground to build a questionable new alliance. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 20 2 0e1830a9-606d-467b-81dc-c2f89947f8da Now that we're in the back half of the story, it's time to go back and look at the original rolls from the first episode to see how well we've been following directions. Other topics include the fun of creating insidiously creepy chapters, making fast friends with an UltraBacon at the bar, and the introduction of a new, unexpected pet: former US president Grover Cleveland.

]]> Tue, 4 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Now that we're in the back half of the story, it's time to go back and look at the original rolls from the first episode to see how well we've been following directions. Other topics include the fun of creating insidiously creepy chapters, making fast friends with an UltraBacon at the bar, and the introduction of a new, unexpected pet: former US president Grover Cleveland.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E19: I Got My Masters in Bone Gendering Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:39:42 Now that we're in the back half of the story, it's time to go back and look at the original rolls from the first episode to see how well we've been following directions. Other topics include the fun of creating insidiously creepy chapters, making fast friends with an UltraBacon at the bar, and the introduction of a new, unexpected pet: former US president Grover Cleveland. Now that we're in the back half of the story, it's time to go back and look at the original rolls from the first episode to see how well we've been following directions. Other topics include the fun of creating insidiously creepy chapters, making fast friends with an UltraBacon at the bar, and the introduction of a new, unexpected pet: former US president Grover Cleveland. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, body swap, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, animals, spooky, d&d, grover cleveland, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, kevin bacon, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 19 2 58ffd8b2-dd11-46f4-8902-55d1b18ee497 Doro excitedly brings Ja and Kaia to the forest of a man named the Harvester. Though the skeleton venerates the powerful stranger, the humans are far less trusting.

]]> Tue, 21 Mar 2023 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Doro excitedly brings Ja and Kaia to the forest of a man named the Harvester. Though the skeleton venerates the powerful stranger, the humans are far less trusting.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E18: Chapter Nine - The Harvester Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:27:32 Doro excitedly brings Ja and Kaia to the forest of a man named the Harvester. Though the skeleton venerates the powerful stranger, the humans are far less trusting. Doro excitedly brings Ja and Kaia to the forest of a man named the Harvester. Though the skeleton venerates the powerful stranger, the humans are far less trusting. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 18 2 7f4e15ea-38be-49ed-87eb-294c049e19f0 Being forced to write an awkward social faux pas into the story is the perfect excuse to talk about our own devastating personal embarrassments. Other topics include using Fate Index rolls to become an edgelord, creating the Skeleton Bible, and being fine with tropes in our story as long as they were someone else’s idea.

]]> Tue, 21 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Being forced to write an awkward social faux pas into the story is the perfect excuse to talk about our own devastating personal embarrassments. Other topics include using Fate Index rolls to become an edgelord, creating the Skeleton Bible, and being fine with tropes in our story as long as they were someone else’s idea.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E17: Punching Cakes and Farting in Supercuts Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:33:05 Being forced to write an awkward social faux pas into the story is the perfect excuse to talk about our own devastating personal embarrassments. Other topics include using Fate Index rolls to become an edgelord, creating the Skeleton Bible, and being fine with tropes in our story as long as they were someone else’s idea. Being forced to write an awkward social faux pas into the story is the perfect excuse to talk about our own devastating personal embarrassments. Other topics include using Fate Index rolls to become an edgelord, creating the Skeleton Bible, and being fine with tropes in our story as long as they were someone else’s idea. dungeons & dragons, rpg, scary animals, critical role, social faux pas, body swap, creative writing, limp bizkit, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, kid rock, animals, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, supercuts, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, cage fighting, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 17 2 d844cbd3-7fe0-4d9e-9e5c-1b4ae2b69cbf The jawbone mirror has transported our protagonists to "a world without men like the Blood Summoner." It offers Ja and Kaia a great opportunity to learn more about their travels; all they have to do first is enjoy a simple meal in silence.

]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2023 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ The jawbone mirror has transported our protagonists to "a world without men like the Blood Summoner." It offers Ja and Kaia a great opportunity to learn more about their travels; all they have to do first is enjoy a simple meal in silence.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E16: Chapter Eight - A Quiet Meal Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:29:10 The jawbone mirror has transported our protagonists to "a world without men like the Blood Summoner." It offers Ja and Kaia a great opportunity to learn more about their travels; all they have to do first is enjoy a simple meal in silence. The jawbone mirror has transported our protagonists to "a world without men like the Blood Summoner." It offers Ja and Kaia a great opportunity to learn more about their travels; all they have to do first is enjoy a simple meal in silence. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 16 2 5f815661-c811-49e0-8307-2b5b44f6b2fc Who has the hot looks and perfect life and how do we get into those bodies instead of our crummy ones? Ethan wants to be the tallest guy in the neighborhood and Jeff knows he'll never cut it as Beyoncé. Other topics include whether or not we should care about "good storytelling" over fun, getting creative with suboptimal rolls, and having to level up our story challenges as we level up our characters.

]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Who has the hot looks and perfect life and how do we get into those bodies instead of our crummy ones? Ethan wants to be the tallest guy in the neighborhood and Jeff knows he'll never cut it as Beyoncé. Other topics include whether or not we should care about "good storytelling" over fun, getting creative with suboptimal rolls, and having to level up our story challenges as we level up our characters.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E15: Body of Desire Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:39:11 Who has the hot looks and perfect life and how do we get into those bodies instead of our crummy ones? Ethan wants to be the tallest guy in the neighborhood and Jeff knows he'll never cut it as Beyoncé. Other topics include whether or not we should care about "good storytelling" over fun, getting creative with suboptimal rolls, and having to level up our story challenges as we level up our characters. Who has the hot looks and perfect life and how do we get into those bodies instead of our crummy ones? Ethan wants to be the tallest guy in the neighborhood and Jeff knows he'll never cut it as Beyoncé. Other topics include whether or not we should care about "good storytelling" over fun, getting creative with suboptimal rolls, and having to level up our story challenges as we level up our characters. dungeons & dragons, ryan gosling, rpg, scary animals, critical role, body swap, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, beyonce, animals, spooky, d&d, captain kirk, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, yao ming, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, chris pine, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, beyoncé, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 15 2 37c2c4ce-ed7a-49e2-b0d7-e5ac761044d0 After a bizarre turn of events, Ja and Kaia find themselves in the upper echelon of Orn society. Have things finally improved for our protagonists, or is life too good to be true?

]]> Tue, 7 Feb 2023 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ After a bizarre turn of events, Ja and Kaia find themselves in the upper echelon of Orn society. Have things finally improved for our protagonists, or is life too good to be true?

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E14: Chapter Seven - Through the Eyes of the Oppressor Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:29:03 After a bizarre turn of events, Ja and Kaia find themselves in the upper echelon of Orn society. Have things finally improved for our protagonists, or is life too good to be true? After a bizarre turn of events, Ja and Kaia find themselves in the upper echelon of Orn society. Have things finally improved for our protagonists, or is life too good to be true? dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 14 2 d7ea896f-280a-4a4e-bc4b-bdd7cd8353ad Animals can be scary! In this episode, we create a tier list that determines once-and-for-all which animals are the most terrifying. Other topics include Ethan deciding that a brand-new character is unnecessary, how Elden Ring is still infiltrating our creative nodes, and characters who mysteriously know all of the story's secrets.

]]> Tue, 7 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Animals can be scary! In this episode, we create a tier list that determines once-and-for-all which animals are the most terrifying. Other topics include Ethan deciding that a brand-new character is unnecessary, how Elden Ring is still infiltrating our creative nodes, and characters who mysteriously know all of the story's secrets.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E13: A Definitive List of Scary Animals Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:44:52 Animals can be scary! In this episode, we create a tier list that determines once-and-for-all which animals are the most terrifying. Other topics include Ethan deciding that a brand-new character is unnecessary, how Elden Ring is still infiltrating our creative nodes, and characters who mysteriously know all of the story's secrets. Animals can be scary! In this episode, we create a tier list that determines once-and-for-all which animals are the most terrifying. Other topics include Ethan deciding that a brand-new character is unnecessary, how Elden Ring is still infiltrating our creative nodes, and characters who mysteriously know all of the story's secrets. dungeons & dragons, rpg, scary animals, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, animals, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, elden ring, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 13 2 1c946afd-15a7-40a1-8a99-f40d9eeb2efc Ja and Kaia attempt to track down Torv on the other side of the portal, hoping that his brute strength can help keep them safe in a harsh new world. 

]]> Tue, 24 Jan 2023 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Ja and Kaia attempt to track down Torv on the other side of the portal, hoping that his brute strength can help keep them safe in a harsh new world. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E12: Chapter Six - The Putrid Coast Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:26:34 Ja and Kaia attempt to track down Torv on the other side of the portal, hoping that his brute strength can help keep them safe in a harsh new world. Ja and Kaia attempt to track down Torv on the other side of the portal, hoping that his brute strength can help keep them safe in a harsh new world. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 12 2 0ea47517-e472-4e4e-a2b4-be5a67543703 Inspired by a trans-Atlantic viewing of Indiana Jones, we explore the idea of a "leap of faith" and whether or not we're the type of people to take big risks. Other topics include the unstated peril of not naming characters, whether or not we've got too much magic in the story, and an introduction to a sexy bug waifu Bionicle named Zethra.

]]> Tue, 24 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Inspired by a trans-Atlantic viewing of Indiana Jones, we explore the idea of a "leap of faith" and whether or not we're the type of people to take big risks. Other topics include the unstated peril of not naming characters, whether or not we've got too much magic in the story, and an introduction to a sexy bug waifu Bionicle named Zethra.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E11: Oops! All Conans Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:37:56 Inspired by a trans-Atlantic viewing of Indiana Jones, we explore the idea of a "leap of faith" and whether or not we're the type of people to take big risks. Other topics include the unstated peril of not naming characters, whether or not we've got too much magic in the story, and an introduction to a sexy bug waifu Bionicle named Zethra. Inspired by a trans-Atlantic viewing of Indiana Jones, we explore the idea of a "leap of faith" and whether or not we're the type of people to take big risks. Other topics include the unstated peril of not naming characters, whether or not we've got too much magic in the story, and an introduction to a sexy bug waifu Bionicle named Zethra. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, waifu, leap of faith, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, aristotle, indiana jones, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, zethra, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, bionicle, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 11 2 4fc825ad-3063-47bb-b409-6944b948c1f8 Torv learns some hard lessons about acting without thinking things through. Ja is chosen to command a mysterious and powerful ancient relic.

]]> Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Torv learns some hard lessons about acting without thinking things through. Ja is chosen to command a mysterious and powerful ancient relic.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E10: Chapter Five - Complex Problems and Simple Violence Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:29:30 Torv learns some hard lessons about acting without thinking things through. Ja is chosen to command a mysterious and powerful ancient relic. Torv learns some hard lessons about acting without thinking things through. Ja is chosen to command a mysterious and powerful ancient relic. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 10 2 cc2a8413-b4fb-41c9-8c93-fd3257b80b02 Are we loyal friends and family members? Is Ethan the perfect American? In this episode, we explore the depths of our loyalty to others, ourselves, and our countries. Other topics include problematic protagonists, the pervasive propaganda of Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix, and how it's easier to unlock a door than pull it off its hinges.

]]> Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Are we loyal friends and family members? Is Ethan the perfect American? In this episode, we explore the depths of our loyalty to others, ourselves, and our countries. Other topics include problematic protagonists, the pervasive propaganda of Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix, and how it's easier to unlock a door than pull it off its hinges.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E09: The Red Dawn Theory Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:37:24 Are we loyal friends and family members? Is Ethan the perfect American? In this episode, we explore the depths of our loyalty to others, ourselves, and our countries. Other topics include problematic protagonists, the pervasive propaganda of Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix, and how it's easier to unlock a door than pull it off its hinges. Are we loyal friends and family members? Is Ethan the perfect American? In this episode, we explore the depths of our loyalty to others, ourselves, and our countries. Other topics include problematic protagonists, the pervasive propaganda of Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix, and how it's easier to unlock a door than pull it off its hinges. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, fear, horror, creative writing podcast, aristotle, multiple realities, fantasy writing, golden mean, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, loyalty, actual play, critical roll, fiction, patriotism, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, libby's pumpkin pie, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 9 2 88a35a3f-a1e5-40a6-ac59-cd73affda2df The great forest is dying and with it the barbarian Ulvson clan. The decline began with the emergence of the hideous boar faces and their mysterious leader, the Light Eater. To save his people, Torv sets out to destroy the bringer of the Black Night.

]]> Tue, 29 Nov 2022 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ The great forest is dying and with it the barbarian Ulvson clan. The decline began with the emergence of the hideous boar faces and their mysterious leader, the Light Eater. To save his people, Torv sets out to destroy the bringer of the Black Night.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E08: Chapter Four - Honor March Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:32:53 The great forest is dying and with it the barbarian Ulvson clan. The decline began with the emergence of the hideous boar faces and their mysterious leader, the Light Eater. To save his people, Torv sets out to destroy the bringer of the Black Night. The great forest is dying and with it the barbarian Ulvson clan. The decline began with the emergence of the hideous boar faces and their mysterious leader, the Light Eater. To save his people, Torv sets out to destroy the bringer of the Black Night. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, barbarian, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 8 2 112f3d9e-a900-49ed-8b31-65b575d7466c What drives fear into the hearts of the Cool Story Guys? In this episode, we discuss the tangible and existential dreads that haunt our everyday existence. Other topics include Jeff's general inability to listen to good advice, the impending emergence of the Shrimp Summoner, and an introduction to the physically, emotionally, and temporally separated "Distant Ethan."

]]> Tue, 29 Nov 2022 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ What drives fear into the hearts of the Cool Story Guys? In this episode, we discuss the tangible and existential dreads that haunt our everyday existence. Other topics include Jeff's general inability to listen to good advice, the impending emergence of the Shrimp Summoner, and an introduction to the physically, emotionally, and temporally separated "Distant Ethan."

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E07: Real Fears Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:39:25 What drives fear into the hearts of the Cool Story Guys? In this episode, we discuss the tangible and existential dreads that haunt our everyday existence. Other topics include Jeff's general inability to listen to good advice, the impending emergence of the Shrimp Summoner, and an introduction to the physically, emotionally, and temporally separated "Distant Ethan." What drives fear into the hearts of the Cool Story Guys? In this episode, we discuss the tangible and existential dreads that haunt our everyday existence. Other topics include Jeff's general inability to listen to good advice, the impending emergence of the Shrimp Summoner, and an introduction to the physically, emotionally, and temporally separated "Distant Ethan." dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fears, fantasy audiobook, fear, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, horror writing, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, survival, existential fear, 100 years of solitude, aliens, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing, existential dread no full 7 2 141aff5f-aef5-4763-808d-47e7eec7820f Desperate for supplies, Ja and Kaia venture beneath the vine-covered ruins and find that not everything among the countless scattered bones has died.

]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2022 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Desperate for supplies, Ja and Kaia venture beneath the vine-covered ruins and find that not everything among the countless scattered bones has died.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E06: Chapter Three - The Absence of Light Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:30:31 Desperate for supplies, Ja and Kaia venture beneath the vine-covered ruins and find that not everything among the countless scattered bones is dead. Desperate for supplies, Ja and Kaia venture beneath the vine-covered ruins and find that not everything among the countless scattered bones is dead. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 6 2 8f382fe7-110a-43df-8e3e-982776b21878 After forcing our protagonists to traverse through a vicious jungle, we discuss whether either of us has what it takes to survive in dire situations. Other topics include how it feels to write gross things, whether or not parents form strong bonds with their children, and all the nasty things Ethan thought about including in his chapter but decided against. 

]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2022 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ After forcing our protagonists to traverse through a vicious jungle, we discuss whether either of us has what it takes to survive in dire situations. Other topics include how it feels to write gross things, whether or not parents form strong bonds with their children, and all the nasty things Ethan thought about including in his chapter but decided against. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E05: Apex Cabin Daddy Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:35:26 After forcing our protagonists to traverse through a vicious jungle, we discuss whether either of us has what it takes to survive in dire situations. Other topics include how it feels to write gross things, whether or not parents form strong bonds with their children, and all the nasty things Ethan thought about including in his chapter but decided against. After forcing our protagonists to traverse through a vicious jungle, we discuss whether either of us has what it takes to survive in dire situations. Other topics include how it feels to write gross things, whether or not parents form strong bonds with their children, and all the nasty things Ethan thought about including in his chapter but decided against. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, ellen ripley, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, spooky, jeremiah johnson, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, commando, hatchet, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, the goonie, audiobook, raiders of the lost ark, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, survival, 100 years of solitude, aliens, fantasy, wilderness survival, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 5 2 3532a58f-1065-457e-bf0d-cd1bfa263370 Ja and Kaia wrestle with new fears and old traumas as they traverse the inhospitable jungle outside of the compound. Unequipped to protect themselves in the wild, the two are forced to cling to any semblance of safety they can find.

]]> Tue, 1 Nov 2022 08:20:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Ja and Kaia wrestle with new fears and old traumas as they traverse the inhospitable jungle outside of the compound. Unequipped to protect themselves in the wild, the two are forced to cling to any semblance of safety they can find.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E04: Chapter Two - Evils and Omens Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:25:43 Ja and Kaia wrestle with new fears and old traumas as they traverse the inhospitable jungle outside of the compound. Unequipped to protect themselves in the wild, the two are forced to cling to any semblance of safety they can find. Ja and Kaia wrestle with new fears and old traumas as they traverse the inhospitable jungle outside of the compound. Unequipped to protect themselves in the wild, the two are forced to cling to any semblance of safety they can find. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, primeval, dungeons and dragons, prehistoric jungle, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, jungle, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 4 2 305d9ed9-dee9-4401-9588-1ec221d5fdd5 As the story starts to take shape, we explore the different ways that Jeff's spicy Turkish vacation influenced the first chapter. Other topics include a cursory look at a random assortment of new and old things, Ethan’s deep desire to add dinosaurs to anything and everything, and a few too many references to a book that a lot of people haven't read. 

]]> Tue, 1 Nov 2022 08:15:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ As the story starts to take shape, we explore the different ways that Jeff's spicy Turkish vacation influenced the first chapter. Other topics include a cursory look at a random assortment of new and old things, Ethan’s deep desire to add dinosaurs to anything and everything, and a few too many references to a book that a lot of people haven't read. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E03: Defining a Rural Caveman Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:35:46 As the story starts to take shape, we explore the different ways that Jeff's spicy Turkish vacation influenced the first chapter. Other topics include a cursory look at a random assortment of new and old things, Ethan’s deep desire to add dinosaurs to anything and everything, and a few too many references to a book that a lot of people haven't read. As the story starts to take shape, we explore the different ways that Jeff's spicy Turkish vacation influenced the first chapter. Other topics include a cursory look at a random assortment of new and old things, Ethan’s deep desire to add dinosaurs to anything and everything, and a few too many references to a book that a lot of people haven't read. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, clan of the cave bear, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, turkey, spooky, d&d, gabriel garcia marquez, göbeklitepe, supernatural, fantasy podcast, primeaval, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, göbekli tepe, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, incest, role playing game, multiverse, one hundred years of solitude, podcast, multiple realms, mesopotamia, role-playing game, 100 years of solitude, fantasy, creative writing prompt, persecuted christians, fiction writing no full 3 2 7c06d8ba-2a5c-4481-8781-d859e9c0597b Raised inside a brutal prison compound and subjected to supernatural rituals, Ja has little hope for the future. When a woman named Kaia is exiled to the compound from the community, she teaches Ja about the outside world, and the two form an alliance to keep each other safe.

]]> Tue, 1 Nov 2022 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Raised inside a brutal prison compound and subjected to supernatural rituals, Ja has little hope for the future. When a woman named Kaia is exiled to the compound from the community, she teaches Ja about the outside world, and the two form an alliance to keep each other safe.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E02: Chapter One - Blood Sacrifice Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:35:21 Raised inside a brutal prison compound and subjected to supernatural rituals, Ja has little hope for the future. When a woman named Kaia is exiled to the compound from the community, she teaches Ja about the outside world, and the two form an alliance to keep each other safe. Raised inside a brutal prison compound and subjected to supernatural rituals, Ja has little hope for the future. When a woman named Kaia is exiled to the compound from the community, she teaches Ja about the outside world, and the two form an alliance to keep each other safe. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, prehistoric, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, blood sacrifice, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, prehistoric fantasy, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, ritual, prehistoric fiction, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 2 2 65323f7a-d610-47ae-b58b-9336fa4f5291 A new season means a brand new story! In this introductory episode, we roll the dice to learn what kind of story we get to tell. Spoiler alert: this new story isn't going to be anything like the last one. Other topics include not getting frustrated when we can't compete with top-tier art, a dog-minus-whale reality that is just begging to be explored, and how everyone is tired of fantasy stories set in the Middle Ages.

]]> Tue, 1 Nov 2022 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ A new season means a brand new story! In this introductory episode, we roll the dice to learn what kind of story we get to tell. Spoiler alert: this new story isn't going to be anything like the last one. Other topics include not getting frustrated when we can't compete with top-tier art, a dog-minus-whale reality that is just begging to be explored, and how everyone is tired of fantasy stories set in the Middle Ages.

]]> Cool Story Guys S02E01: Too Dumb for Sci-Fi Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:48:11 A new season means a brand new story! In this introductory episode, we roll the dice to learn what kind of story we get to tell. Spoiler alert: this new story isn't going to be anything like the last one. Other topics include not getting frustrated when we can't compete with top-tier art, a dog-minus-whale reality that is just begging to be explored, and how everyone is tired of fantasy stories set in the Middle Ages. A new season means a brand new story! In this introductory episode, we roll the dice to learn what kind of story we get to tell. Spoiler alert: this new story isn't going to be anything like the last one. Other topics include not getting frustrated when we can't compete with top-tier art, a dog-minus-whale reality that is just begging to be explored, and how everyone is tired of fantasy stories set in the Middle Ages. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, clan of the cave bear, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, everything everywhere all at once, spooky, d&d, supernatural, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, multiple realities, fantasy writing, magical realism, mcelroy brothers, actual play, critical roll, fiction, collaborative writing, audiobook podcast, audiobook, role playing game, multiverse, podcast, multiple realms, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt, fiction writing no full 1 2 56c3305f-d63c-4368-ada0-4db650e69f8d Elden Ring is one of the most exciting things to happen to video games in years and we are smitten. Ethan is a veteran of the Dark Souls games and Jeff is new to the series, but we've both been deeply enjoying our time getting killed over and over and over in the lands between. We talk about the sprawling story (which is supposedly co-created by one of the biggest names in fantasy literature), the dauntingly steep learning curve, and what the game means to those who hold fantasy adventure near and dear. 

]]> Mon, 28 Mar 2022 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Elden Ring is one of the most exciting things to happen to video games in years and we are smitten. Ethan is a veteran of the Dark Souls games and Jeff is new to the series, but we've both been deeply enjoying our time getting killed over and over and over in the lands between. We talk about the sprawling story (which is supposedly co-created by one of the biggest names in fantasy literature), the dauntingly steep learning curve, and what the game means to those who hold fantasy adventure near and dear. 

]]> Cool Story Guys One-Shot: Elden Ring Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:46:00 Elden Ring is one of the most exciting things to happen to video games in years and we are smitten. Ethan is a veteran of the Dark Souls games and Jeff is new to the series, but we've both been deeply enjoying our time getting killed over and over and over in the lands between. We talk about the sprawling story (which is supposedly co-created by one of the biggest names in fantasy literature), the dauntingly steep learning curve, and what the game means to those who hold fantasy adventure near and dear. Elden Ring is one of the most exciting things to happen to video games in years and we are smitten. Ethan is a veteran of the Dark Souls games and Jeff is new to the series, but we've both been deeply enjoying our time getting killed over and over and over in the lands between. We talk about the sprawling story (which is supposedly co-created by one of the biggest names in fantasy literature), the dauntingly steep learning curve, and what the game means to those who hold fantasy adventure near and dear. dungeons & dragons, mars volta, rpg, adventure, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, video games, d and d, dark souls, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, elden ring, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, fantasy writing podcast, game of thrones, fantasy, george r. r. martin no full 41 1 3fb9c11a-386d-42c1-8c4b-acac88f49e71 We celebrate the end of our first season with a big discussion of the last two chapters and an imaginary casting session for the inevitable big-budget TV series or film adaptation. Other topics include areas where we wish we could get a do-over, some alternate book names that didn't quite make the cut, and how our fantasy story slowly morphed into a collectivist screed about how billionaires shouldn't exist.

]]> Wed, 26 Jan 2022 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby and Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ We celebrate the end of our first season with a big discussion of the last two chapters and an imaginary casting session for the inevitable big-budget TV series or film adaptation. Other topics include areas where we wish we could get a do-over, some alternate book names that didn't quite make the cut, and how our fantasy story slowly morphed into a collectivist screed about how billionaires shouldn't exist.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E40: Jumbo-Sized Season Finale Jamboree Jeff Kirby and Ethan Moses 00:53:48 We celebrate the end of our first season with a big discussion of the last two chapters and an imaginary casting session for the inevitable big-budget TV series or film adaptation. Other topics include areas where we wish we could get a do-over, some alternate book names that didn't quite make the cut, and how our fantasy story slowly morphed into a collectivist screed about how billionaires shouldn't exist. We celebrate the end of our first season with a big discussion of the last two chapters and an imaginary casting session for the inevitable big-budget TV series or film adaptation. Other topics include areas where we wish we could get a do-over, some alternate book names that didn't quite make the cut, and how our fantasy story slowly morphed into a collectivist screed about how billionaires shouldn't exist. dungeons & dragons, film adaptation, rpg, adventure, critical role, season finale, viola davis, creative writing, danai gurira, the adventure zone, taika waititi, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, danny trejo, jeff bridges, sigourney weaver, gwendolin christie, mahershala ali, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, matt berry, fantasy writing, actual play, fantasy writing podcast, michonne, fantasy, creative writing prompt, taron eggerton no full 40 1 5a1565c2-b281-401a-b9ad-84d8a757bda1 It's been 20 years since the Shift changed the world forever. Have the survivors actualized the brighter future they saw atop the platform, or have the same old mistakes returned to haunt them again?

]]> Wed, 26 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ It's been 20 years since the Shift changed the world forever. Have the survivors actualized the brighter future they saw atop the platform, or have the same old mistakes returned to haunt them again?

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E39: Epilogue Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:44:15 It's been 20 years since the Shift changed the world forever. Have the survivors actualized the brighter future they saw atop the platform, or have the same old mistakes returned to haunt them again? It's been 20 years since the Shift changed the world forever. Have the survivors actualized the brighter future they saw atop the platform, or have the same old mistakes returned to haunt them again? dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 39 1 3f1a993d-b924-4d93-87de-0a8b3449e5b3 Everyone has gathered at the base of the column from the vision. Will they ascend to a better world, or to a cruel and violent demise?

]]> Mon, 10 Jan 2022 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Everyone has gathered at the base of the column from the vision. Will they ascend to a better world, or to a cruel and violent demise?

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E38: Chapter 19 - Ascension Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:47:14 Everyone has gathered at the base of the column from the vision. Will they ascend to a better world, or to a cruel and violent demise? Everyone has gathered at the base of the column from the vision. Will they ascend to a better world, or to a cruel and violent demise? dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 38 1 8fda67db-d418-4cf0-bb94-ae9a4e63b8f9 Another year of toil and wasted promise is in the books, so we take a look at stuff we liked, stuff that sucked, and whether or not we should try harder on this podcast in 2022. Other topics include Ethan's bizarre insistence to keep talking about the shortcomings of Resident Evil films, the thrilling highs and unfathomable lows of Nicolas Cage, and preemptively taking care of a  plot hole from our story so vindictive nerds won't bug us about it in the future.

]]> Mon, 10 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Another year of toil and wasted promise is in the books, so we take a look at stuff we liked, stuff that sucked, and whether or not we should try harder on this podcast in 2022. Other topics include Ethan's bizarre insistence to keep talking about the shortcomings of Resident Evil films, the thrilling highs and unfathomable lows of Nicolas Cage, and preemptively taking care of a  plot hole from our story so vindictive nerds won't bug us about it in the future.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E37: Flop Reel Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:34:11 Another year of toil and wasted promise is in the books, so we take a look at stuff we liked, stuff that sucked, and whether or not we should try harder on this podcast in 2022. Other topics include Ethan's bizarre insistence to keep talking about the shortcomings of Resident Evil films, the thrilling highs and unfathomable lows of Nicolas Cage, and preemptively taking care of a plot hole from our story so vindictive nerds won't bug us about it in the future. Another year of toil and wasted promise is in the books, so we take a look at stuff we liked, stuff that sucked, and whether or not we should try harder on this podcast in 2022. Other topics include Ethan's bizarre insistence to keep talking about the shortcomings of Resident Evil films, the thrilling highs and unfathomable lows of Nicolas Cage, and preemptively taking care of a plot hole from our story so vindictive nerds won't bug us about it in the future. dungeons & dragons, rpg, adventure, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, league of legends arcane, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, nicolas cage, 2021 year in review, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, welcome to raccoon city, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, are we living in a simulation, league of legends, hayao miyazaki, resident evil, miyazaki, actual play, year in review, arcane, fantasy writing podcast, nic cage, kings of convenience, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 37 1 bb8039ab-c156-41aa-96f2-e79711423c74 It's the last stand for Finnegan and the Irapa as an overwhelming swarm of Vist make a final push to turn the Northern Plateaus into a column. 

]]> Mon, 13 Dec 2021 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ It's the last stand for Finnegan and the Irapa as an overwhelming swarm of Vist make a final push to turn the Northern Plateaus into a column. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E36: Chapter 18 - Lost and Found Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:39:39 It's the last stand for Finnegan and the Irapa as an overwhelming swarm of Vist make a final push to turn the Northern Plateaus into a column. It's the last stand for Finnegan and the Irapa as an overwhelming swarm of Vist make a final push to turn the Northern Plateaus into a column. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 36 1 9667038c-fd97-4b54-a37c-bb91ea9a49c4 Shook by the idea that we've taken free will away from the characters in our story, we discuss whether or not we have any free will of our own, or if the reason Jeff eats a turkey sandwich for lunch every day is because he lives inside a simulation. Other topics include Ethan imagining himself as an adorable garbage robot, how Jeff's dad has become the destroyer of worlds, and whether or not we feel emotions when we kill off our characters.

]]> Mon, 13 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Shook by the idea that we've taken free will away from the characters in our story, we discuss whether or not we have any free will of our own, or if the reason Jeff eats a turkey sandwich for lunch every day is because he lives inside a simulation. Other topics include Ethan imagining himself as an adorable garbage robot, how Jeff's dad has become the destroyer of worlds, and whether or not we feel emotions when we kill off our characters.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E35: Are We Living in a Simulation? Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:29:58 Shook by the idea that we've taken free will away from the characters in our story, we discuss whether or not we have any free will of our own, or if the reason Jeff eats a turkey sandwich for lunch every day is because he lives inside a simulation. Other topics include Ethan imagining himself as an adorable garbage robot, how Jeff's dad has become the destroyer of worlds, and whether or not we feel emotions when we kill off our characters. Shook by the idea that we've taken free will away from the characters in our story, we discuss whether or not we have any free will of our own, or if the reason Jeff eats a turkey sandwich for lunch every day is because he lives inside a simulation. Other topics include Ethan imagining himself as an adorable garbage robot, how Jeff's dad has become the destroyer of worlds, and whether or not we feel emotions when we kill off our characters. dungeons & dragons, rpg, adventure, simulation, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, does free will exist?, fantasy writing, are we living in a simulation, actual play, do we have free will, reality, free will, fantasy writing podcast, computer simulation, predeterminism, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 35 1 586a4eb7-65db-4e63-b763-2782dadec159 Different factions quarrel over how to act upon the Remnant’s vision, and the outcome will determine the fate of the Capital Islands and its people.

]]> Mon, 22 Nov 2021 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Different factions quarrel over how to act upon the Remnant’s vision, and the outcome will determine the fate of the Capital Islands and its people.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E34: Chapter 17 - Visions Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:37:30 Different factions quarrel over how to act upon the Remnant’s vision, and the outcome will determine the fate of the Capital Islands and its people. Different factions quarrel over how to act upon the Remnant’s vision, and the outcome will determine the fate of the Capital Islands and its people. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 34 1 1036b2aa-372b-481c-b90c-0f7e71755486 Come along on the adventure of a lifetime in ETHAN'S QUEST, an exciting new game where you attempt to navigate uncomfortable social situations with a magic hat and are reincarnated behind a Burger King in the woods every time you die. Other topics include how pretty much every RPG is a fashion RPG, the realization that it's time to start killing off our characters again, and Ethan having to fight the inclination to add more mystery to a story he's supposed to bringing to a close.

]]> Mon, 22 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Come along on the adventure of a lifetime in ETHAN'S QUEST, an exciting new game where you attempt to navigate uncomfortable social situations with a magic hat and are reincarnated behind a Burger King in the woods every time you die. Other topics include how pretty much every RPG is a fashion RPG, the realization that it's time to start killing off our characters again, and Ethan having to fight the inclination to add more mystery to a story he's supposed to bringing to a close.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E33: Ethan's Quest Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:29:03 Come along on the adventure of a lifetime in ETHAN'S QUEST, an exciting new game where you attempt to navigate uncomfortable social situations with a magic hat and are reincarnated behind a Burger King in the woods every time you die. Other topics include how pretty much every RPG is a fashion RPG, the realization that it's time to start killing off our characters again, and Ethan having to fight the inclination to add more mystery to a story he's supposed to bringing to a close. Come along on the adventure of a lifetime in ETHAN'S QUEST, an exciting new game where you attempt to navigate uncomfortable social situations with a magic hat and are reincarnated behind a Burger King in the woods every time you die. Other topics include how pretty much every RPG is a fashion RPG, the realization that it's time to start killing off our characters again, and Ethan having to fight the inclination to add more mystery to a story he's supposed to bringing to a close. dungeons & dragons, rpg, adventure, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, video games, video game cartridge, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, nintendo, fantasy writing podcast, nes, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 33 1 d463c5a1-0e0e-4b7f-bca9-a3df25473337 Stuck on the Northern Plateaus and drained of power, Laureena attempts to break free from the dark force that has been controlling her for the last four years.

]]> Mon, 8 Nov 2021 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Stuck on the Northern Plateaus and drained of power, Laureena attempts to break free from the dark force that has been controlling her for the last four years.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E32: Chapter 16 - Seeking Truth Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:31:26 Stuck on the Northern Plateaus and drained of power, Laureena attempts to break free from the dark force that has been controlling her for the last four years. Stuck on the Northern Plateaus and drained of power, Laureena attempts to break free from the dark force that has been controlling her for the last four years. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 32 1 547850c7-0358-41dd-afb7-e763d7652815 In preparation of our impending mid-life crises, we take a look at the new skills we want to learn in our elder years to replace the useless ones we've acquired so far. Other topics include how Ethan is self-conscious of his baby-soft hands, which time-sensitive natural disasters are worth worrying about, and how difficult it is to deal with a fantasy story where you can't go back and edit anything you've already written.

]]> Mon, 8 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ In preparation of our impending mid-life crises, we take a look at the new skills we want to learn in our elder years to replace the useless ones we've acquired so far. Other topics include how Ethan is self-conscious of his baby-soft hands, which time-sensitive natural disasters are worth worrying about, and how difficult it is to deal with a fantasy story where you can't go back and edit anything you've already written.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E31: Mid-Life Multiclassing Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:34:46 In preparation of our impending mid-life crises, we take a look at the new skills we want to learn in our elder years to replace the useless ones we've acquired so far. Other topics include how Ethan is self-conscious of his baby-soft hands, which time-sensitive natural disasters are worth worrying about, and how difficult it is to deal with a fantasy story where you can't go back and edit anything you've already written. In preparation of our impending mid-life crises, we take a look at the new skills we want to learn in our elder years to replace the useless ones we've acquired so far. Other topics include how Ethan is self-conscious of his baby-soft hands, which time-sensitive natural disasters are worth worrying about, and how difficult it is to deal with a fantasy story where you can't go back and edit anything you've already written. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, gilmore girls, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, mid life crises, creative writing podcast, mid-life crisis, fantasy writing, actual play, mid-life crises, cheese making, fantasy writing podcast, cheesemonger, fantasy, mid life crisis, creative writing prompt, carpentry no full 31 1 bb8cec49-ca14-4cc3-a71c-59e2e0542574 Skeptical of the Nemarus' plan, Danvers meets with Hallister and discovers the story he was told regarding the Shift was not the whole truth.

]]> Mon, 25 Oct 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Skeptical of the Nemarus' plan, Danvers meets with Hallister and discovers the story he was told regarding the Shift was not the whole truth.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E30: Chapter 15 - Interfacing Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:38:35 Skeptical of the Nemarus' plan, Danvers meets with Hallister and discovers the story he was told regarding the Shift was not the whole truth. Skeptical of the Nemarus' plan, Danvers meets with Hallister and discovers the story he was told regarding the Shift was not the whole truth. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 30 1 becb8fed-67d0-407b-bf44-edd9ebc0d550 It's our October Spooktacular episode, with resident horror master Ethan taking over the reigns to make Jeff play a spooky game inventing the perfect monster. Spoiler alert: the perfect monster is named "Carol." Other topics include how Ethan inadvertently added some Bruce Wayne backstory to our book, how we missed the boat and now can never name our world, and the unveiling of our inevitable anime tie-in "Anti-Magi Devil Boy."

]]> Mon, 25 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ It's our October Spooktacular episode, with resident horror master Ethan taking over the reigns to make Jeff play a spooky game inventing the perfect monster. Spoiler alert: the perfect monster is named "Carol." Other topics include how Ethan inadvertently added some Bruce Wayne backstory to our book, how we missed the boat and now can never name our world, and the unveiling of our inevitable anime tie-in "Anti-Magi Devil Boy."

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E29: Accidental Batman Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:32:24 It's our October Spooktacular episode, with resident horror master Ethan taking over the reigns to make Jeff play a spooky game inventing the perfect monster. Spoiler alert: the perfect monster is named "Carol." Other topics include how Ethan inadvertently added some Bruce Wayne backstory to our book, how we missed the boat and now can never name our world, and the unveiling of our inevitable anime tie-in "Anti-Magi Devil Boy." It's our October Spooktacular episode, with resident horror master Ethan taking over the reigns to make Jeff play a spooky game inventing the perfect monster. Spoiler alert: the perfect monster is named "Carol." Other topics include how Ethan inadvertently added some Bruce Wayne backstory to our book, how we missed the boat and now can never name our world, and the unveiling of our inevitable anime tie-in "Anti-Magi Devil Boy." dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, halloween, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, spooky, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, horror, creative writing podcast, monster, fantasy writing, batman, actual play, fantasy writing podcast, slasher, fantasy, creative writing prompt, bruce wayne no full 29 1 3dc74c48-0c6c-4709-b923-09bedefce401 Deep underground with the Irapa, Finnegan relives a traumatic experience from his past in a vivid dream, but key aspects of the memory have changed in startling ways. Although it's clear his emotions are being manipulated, his grip on reality begins to slip away as corruption takes hold.

]]> Mon, 11 Oct 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Deep underground with the Irapa, Finnegan relives a traumatic experience from his past in a vivid dream, but key aspects of the memory have changed in startling ways. Although it's clear his emotions are being manipulated, his grip on reality begins to slip away as corruption takes hold.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E28: Chapter 14 - A Sting from the Past Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:29:39 Deep underground with the Irapa, Finnegan relives a traumatic experience from his past in a vivid dream, but key aspects of the memory have changed in startling ways. Although it's clear his emotions are being manipulated, his grip on reality begins to slip away as corruption takes hold. Deep underground with the Irapa, Finnegan relives a traumatic experience from his past in a vivid dream, but key aspects of the memory have changed in startling ways. Although it's clear his emotions are being manipulated, his grip on reality begins to slip away as corruption takes hold. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 28 1 c990a058-83d3-4d3d-b704-834d89cb1f6c Inspired by some nebulous lists of dogs, we play a new game called "More or Less" in which we decide whether there is too much or not enough of things like romance and going to the bathroom in books, TV, and movies. Other topics include how all of the protagonists in our story are old people, the realization that everything Jeff imagines is somehow related to the X-Men, and the ecstasy and agony of shredding our vocal cords to perform crab voice. 

]]> Mon, 11 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Inspired by some nebulous lists of dogs, we play a new game called "More or Less" in which we decide whether there is too much or not enough of things like romance and going to the bathroom in books, TV, and movies. Other topics include how all of the protagonists in our story are old people, the realization that everything Jeff imagines is somehow related to the X-Men, and the ecstasy and agony of shredding our vocal cords to perform crab voice. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E27: Danny Elfman Bathroom Theme Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:39:10 Inspired by some nebulous lists of dogs, we play a new game called "More or Less" in which we decide whether there is too much or not enough of things like romance and going to the bathroom in books, TV, and movies. Other topics include how all of the protagonists in our story are old people, the realization that everything Jeff imagines is somehow related to the X-Men, and the ecstasy and agony of shredding our vocal cords to perform crab voice. Inspired by some nebulous lists of dogs, we play a new game called "More or Less" in which we decide whether there is too much or not enough of things like romance and going to the bathroom in books, TV, and movies. Other topics include how all of the protagonists in our story are old people, the realization that everything Jeff imagines is somehow related to the X-Men, and the ecstasy and agony of shredding our vocal cords to perform crab voice. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, danny elfman, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, literary pet peeves, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, x-men, batman, actual play, shadow of the colossus, fantasy writing podcast, the walking dead, fantasy, creative writing prompt, grey's anatomy no full 27 1 2ba3c28b-1fb2-4e4b-bb93-4b6bb62267b0 Searching for containment shrines, Elinea and the blind wanderer discover a dangerous new threat from the underworld. 

]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Searching for containment shrines, Elinea and the blind wanderer discover a dangerous new threat from the underworld. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E26: Chapter 13 - Vertical Migration Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:40:00 Searching for containment shrines, Elinea and the blind wanderer discover a dangerous new threat from the underworld. Searching for containment shrines, Elinea and the blind wanderer discover a dangerous new threat from the underworld. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 26 1 e842cb4c-968b-40da-aef8-168f1f346703 We take a look at some of our biggest literary pet peeves, ranging from merely annoying to completely story-ruining. Other topics include the morality of fooling around for old souls in young bodies, the movie "Big" and its terrible precedent for examining such morally-questionable situations, and how Ethan is definitely NOT a scientist. 

]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ We take a look at some of our biggest literary pet peeves, ranging from merely annoying to completely story-ruining. Other topics include the morality of fooling around for old souls in young bodies, the movie "Big" and its terrible precedent for examining such morally-questionable situations, and how Ethan is definitely NOT a scientist. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E25: Fully-Realized Manchild Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:33:55 We take a look at some of our biggest literary pet peeves, ranging from merely annoying to completely story-ruining. Other topics include the morality of fooling around for old souls in young bodies, the movie "Big" and its terrible precedent for examining such morally-questionable situations, and how Ethan is definitely NOT a scientist. We take a look at some of our biggest literary pet peeves, ranging from merely annoying to completely story-ruining. Other topics include the morality of fooling around for old souls in young bodies, the movie "Big" and its terrible precedent for examining such morally-questionable situations, and how Ethan is definitely NOT a scientist. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, a darker shade of magic, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, literary pet peeves, jurassic park, v. e. schwab, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, the dark tower, michael crichton, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, pet peeves, where the red fern grows, fantasy writing podcast, stephen king, the gunslinger, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 25 1 a0770169-7817-416d-a310-437cc777d159 Danvers is led to the underwater city of Vandenala, where Adan lays out her plan for counteracting the Shift and saving Laureena. 

]]> Mon, 6 Sep 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Danvers is led to the underwater city of Vandenala, where Adan lays out her plan for counteracting the Shift and saving Laureena. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E24: Chapter 12 - Sins of the Callans Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:28:22 Danvers is led to the underwater city of Vandenala, where Adan lays out her plan for counteracting the Shift and saving Laureena. Danvers is led to the underwater city of Vandenala, where Adan lays out her plan for counteracting the Shift and saving Laureena. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 24 1 ed3a51c9-efa6-42be-94d7-384730270203 In honor of the possibility that someone might accidentally stumble upon our fantasy writing podcast while looking for fantasy football, we have created a new game called "the Fantastic Names of Notable Men." In it, Ethan has to guess which names on Jeff's list are from fantasy and sci-fi books and which are the names of actual NFL players. Play along at home! Other topics include how we are too fragile to play contact sports anymore, a lot of talk about Dune, and how Jeff is always looking for an excuse to create new characters based on jokes from the podcast. 

]]> Mon, 6 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ In honor of the possibility that someone might accidentally stumble upon our fantasy writing podcast while looking for fantasy football, we have created a new game called "the Fantastic Names of Notable Men." In it, Ethan has to guess which names on Jeff's list are from fantasy and sci-fi books and which are the names of actual NFL players. Play along at home! Other topics include how we are too fragile to play contact sports anymore, a lot of talk about Dune, and how Jeff is always looking for an excuse to create new characters based on jokes from the podcast. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E23: The Fantastic Names of Notable Men Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:34:58 In honor of the possibility that someone might accidentally stumble upon our fantasy writing podcast while looking for fantasy football, we have created a new game called "the Fantastic Names of Notable Men." In it, Ethan has to guess which names on Jeff's list are from fantasy and sci-fi books and which are the names of actual NFL players. Play along at home! Other topics include how we are too fragile to play contact sports anymore, a lot of talk about Dune, and how Jeff is always looking for an excuse to create new characters based on jokes from the podcast. In honor of the possibility that someone might accidentally stumble upon our fantasy writing podcast while looking for fantasy football, we have created a new game called "the Fantastic Names of Notable Men." In it, Ethan has to guess which names on Jeff's list are from fantasy and sci-fi books and which are the names of actual NFL players. Play along at home! Other topics include how we are too fragile to play contact sports anymore, a lot of talk about Dune, and how Jeff is always looking for an excuse to create new characters based on jokes from the podcast. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, seattle seahawks, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, football, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, nfl, fantasy football, fantasy writing podcast, indianapolis colts, dune, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 23 1 2a0b0902-e876-4765-b068-2e0b0da349fc Before the Shift, Laureena was insightful, fiercely competitive, and a loyal friend. How much of her personality and agency remain after years possessed by an embittered primordial deity?

]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Before the Shift, Laureena was insightful, fiercely competitive, and a loyal friend. How much of her personality and agency remain after years possessed by an embittered primordial deity?

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E22: Chapter 11 - Working as One Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:36:42 Before the Shift, Laureena was insightful, fiercely competitive, and a loyal friend. How much of her personality and agency remain after years possessed by an embittered primordial deity? Before the Shift, Laureena was insightful, fiercely competitive, and a loyal friend. How much of her personality and agency remain after years possessed by an embittered primordial deity? dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing podcast, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 22 1 64f7d8b1-f3cb-4767-ab83-81618fe22f26 Looking over NPR's list of the best fantasy and science fiction of the last decade, we realize that we probably aren't reading enough books, and discuss whether reading or writing has the better return on time investment for aspiring storytellers. Other topics include capsules of cat urine, whether Ethan's general lack of dexterity means he can't be a rogue, and whether or not our story is doing anything to enrich the minds of our listeners. 

]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Looking over NPR's list of the best fantasy and science fiction of the last decade, we realize that we probably aren't reading enough books, and discuss whether reading or writing has the better return on time investment for aspiring storytellers. Other topics include capsules of cat urine, whether Ethan's general lack of dexterity means he can't be a rogue, and whether or not our story is doing anything to enrich the minds of our listeners. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E21: Goofball Tank Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:33:33 Looking over NPR's list of the best fantasy and science fiction of the last decade, we realize that we probably aren't reading enough books, and discuss whether reading or writing has the better return on time investment for aspiring storytellers. Other topics include capsules of cat urine, whether Ethan's general lack of dexterity means he can't be a rogue, and whether or not our story is doing anything to enrich the minds of our listeners. Looking over NPR's list of the best fantasy and science fiction of the last decade, we realize that we probably aren't reading enough books, and discuss whether reading or writing has the better return on time investment for aspiring storytellers. Other topics include capsules of cat urine, whether Ethan's general lack of dexterity means he can't be a rogue, and whether or not our story is doing anything to enrich the minds of our listeners. dungeons & dragons, bard, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, npr, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, npr fantasy, actual play, rogue, fantasy writing podcast, npr science fiction, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 21 1 df21bc61-ddc2-45d7-9ef6-973252001a87 Finnegan explores the smoldering wreckage of the Irapa village, looking for clues that will lead him to Laureena. With a snowstorm bearing down and a host of unfriendly characters trying to do him harm, the ex-soldier worries he might have bitten off more than he can chew.

]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Finnegan explores the smoldering wreckage of the Irapa village, looking for clues that will lead him to Laureena. With a snowstorm bearing down and a host of unfriendly characters trying to do him harm, the ex-soldier worries he might have bitten off more than he can chew.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E20: Chapter Ten - Beneath the Surface Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:25:50 Finnegan explores the smoldering wreckage of the Irapa village, looking for clues that will lead him to Laureena. With a snowstorm bearing down and a host of unfriendly characters trying to do him harm, the ex-soldier worries he might have bitten off more than he can chew. Finnegan explores the smoldering wreckage of the Irapa village, looking for clues that will lead him to Laureena. With a snowstorm bearing down and a host of unfriendly characters trying to do him harm, the ex-soldier worries he might have bitten off more than he can chew. dungeons & dragons, dnd, rpg, critical role, writing prompt, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, actual play podcast, d and d, d&d, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, ttrp, actual play, audiobook, fantasy writing podacst, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 20 1 61031758-026e-4964-b48a-742663d1e33e Big life changes are underway for the Cool Story Guys: Ethan is moving back to America, threatening to dispel the magic and magnetism of our face-to-face recording sessions. In anticipation of our podcast inevitably becoming awful, we discuss the etiquette of content creators addressing the fact that they've made something terrible. Other topics include fretting about consistency, revelation as a guise to pretend that you knew what you were doing all along, and though it's not exactly a topic discussed, Ethan is so allergic to America that his voice is pitched down to the point where he almost sounds like a different person in this episode.

]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Big life changes are underway for the Cool Story Guys: Ethan is moving back to America, threatening to dispel the magic and magnetism of our face-to-face recording sessions. In anticipation of our podcast inevitably becoming awful, we discuss the etiquette of content creators addressing the fact that they've made something terrible. Other topics include fretting about consistency, revelation as a guise to pretend that you knew what you were doing all along, and though it's not exactly a topic discussed, Ethan is so allergic to America that his voice is pitched down to the point where he almost sounds like a different person in this episode.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E19: Protocol for Beefin' It Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:40:18 Big life changes are underway for the Cool Story Guys: Ethan is moving back to America, threatening to dispel the magic and magnetism of our face-to-face recording sessions. In anticipation of our podcast inevitably becoming awful, we discuss the etiquette of content creators addressing the fact that they've made something terrible. Other topics include fretting about consistency, revelation as a guise to pretend that you knew what you were doing all along, and though it's not exactly a topic discussed, Ethan is so allergic to America that his voice is pitched down to the point where he almost sounds like a different person in this episode. Big life changes are underway for the Cool Story Guys: Ethan is moving back to America, threatening to dispel the magic and magnetism of our face-to-face recording sessions. In anticipation of our podcast inevitably becoming awful, we discuss the etiquette of content creators addressing the fact that they've made something terrible. Other topics include fretting about consistency, revelation as a guise to pretend that you knew what you were doing all along, and though it's not exactly a topic discussed, Ethan is so allergic to America that his voice is pitched down to the point where he almost sounds like a different person in this episode. dungeons & dragons, dark alliance, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, actual play podcast, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, audiobook, creative writing audiobook, fantasy writing podcast, role playing games, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 19 1 13922757-6e42-4ec8-9128-546d0125a37d Elinea navigates the perilous island of Vlyk, finding herself in constant danger thanks the loss of her abilities and a new, unpredictable appendage. Seeking shelter and knowledge from a sequestered Magi named Corrilous Hallister, she discovers the man isn't at all what she expected him to be. 

]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Elinea navigates the perilous island of Vlyk, finding herself in constant danger thanks the loss of her abilities and a new, unpredictable appendage. Seeking shelter and knowledge from a sequestered Magi named Corrilous Hallister, she discovers the man isn't at all what she expected him to be. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E18: Chapter Nine - Banishment Realms Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:41:08 Elinea navigates the perilous island of Vlyk, finding herself in constant danger thanks the loss of her abilities and a new, unpredictable appendage. Seeking shelter and knowledge from a sequestered Magi named Corrilous Hallister, she discovers the man isn't at all what she expected him to be. Elinea navigates the perilous island of Vlyk, finding herself in constant danger thanks the loss of her abilities and a new, unpredictable appendage. Seeking shelter and knowledge from a sequestered Magi named Corrilous Hallister, she discovers the man isn't at all what she expected him to be. dungeons & dragons, dnd, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, actual play podcast, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, role playing games, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 18 1 387e4ab0-69fb-4669-a512-529874b5ba9d Lots of bug talk in this episode! Discussing Ethan's crab- and insect-heavy chapter is a perfect reason to talk all about the swarm of cicadas overtaking much of the United States and how he's going to have to deal with the bug swarm on his trip home to Indiana. Other topics include which sizes of things are the most frightening, how lobsters and crabs are basically just sea spiders, and deciding between two excellent submissions to the Fate Index from one generous listener. 

]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Lots of bug talk in this episode! Discussing Ethan's crab- and insect-heavy chapter is a perfect reason to talk all about the swarm of cicadas overtaking much of the United States and how he's going to have to deal with the bug swarm on his trip home to Indiana. Other topics include which sizes of things are the most frightening, how lobsters and crabs are basically just sea spiders, and deciding between two excellent submissions to the Fate Index from one generous listener. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E17: Lazy, Sexy Bugs Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:29:44 Lots of bug talk in this episode! Discussing Ethan's crab- and insect-heavy chapter is a perfect reason to talk all about the swarm of cicadas overtaking much of the United States and how he's going to have to deal with the bug swarm on his trip home to Indiana. Other topics include which sizes of things are the most frightening, how lobsters and crabs are basically just sea spiders, and deciding between two excellent submissions to the Fate Index from one generous listener. Lots of bug talk in this episode! Discussing Ethan's crab- and insect-heavy chapter is a perfect reason to talk all about the swarm of cicadas overtaking much of the United States and how he's going to have to deal with the bug swarm on his trip home to Indiana. Other topics include which sizes of things are the most frightening, how lobsters and crabs are basically just sea spiders, and deciding between two excellent submissions to the Fate Index from one generous listener. dungeons & dragons, dnd, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, actual play podcast, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, cicadas, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt, bugs no full 17 1 0ddd9234-cf76-4651-ba68-f3e844ff5af3 Disfigured and bewildered, a woman awakens encased inside a massive mollusk shell. Someone - or something - has been regenerating her broken body in a bizarre laboratory deep beneath the ground, but for what purpose?

]]> Mon, 31 May 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Disfigured and bewildered, a woman awakens encased inside a massive mollusk shell. Someone - or something - has been regenerating her broken body in a bizarre laboratory deep beneath the ground, but for what purpose?

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E16: Chapter Eight - The Loss of Self Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:29:00 Disfigured and bewildered, a woman awakens encased inside a massive mollusk shell. Someone - or something - has been regenerating her broken body in a bizarre laboratory deep beneath the ground, but for what purpose? Disfigured and bewildered, a woman awakens encased inside a massive mollusk shell. Someone - or something - has been regenerating her broken body in a bizarre laboratory deep beneath the ground, but for what purpose? dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, audiobook, role playing games, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 16 1 a626bdd4-e2fb-4cca-84cc-3fe0522388da After Ethan's son develops Beast Tongue and speaks with a duck, we discuss the very real probability that humans will someday be able to communicate with animals, as well as other fantasies that may eventually become realities. Other topics include our favorite X-Men powers and how Jeff turned Danvers into a mutant, Ethan being afraid of his guts getting all scrunched up if he transformed into a bird, and new ideas for the Fate Index submitted by our parents. 

]]> Mon, 31 May 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ After Ethan's son develops Beast Tongue and speaks with a duck, we discuss the very real probability that humans will someday be able to communicate with animals, as well as other fantasies that may eventually become realities. Other topics include our favorite X-Men powers and how Jeff turned Danvers into a mutant, Ethan being afraid of his guts getting all scrunched up if he transformed into a bird, and new ideas for the Fate Index submitted by our parents. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E15: Animorph Tummyache Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:33:21 After Ethan's son develops Beast Tongue and speaks with a duck, we discuss the very real probability that humans will someday be able to communicate with animals, as well as other fantasies that may eventually become realities. Other topics include our favorite X-Men powers and how Jeff turned Danvers into a mutant, Ethan being afraid of his guts getting all scrunched up if he transformed into a bird, and new ideas for the Fate Index submitted by our parents. After Ethan's son develops Beast Tongue and speaks with a duck, we discuss the very real probability that humans will someday be able to communicate with animals, as well as other fantasies that may eventually become realities. Other topics include our favorite X-Men powers and how Jeff turned Danvers into a mutant, Ethan being afraid of his guts getting all scrunched up if he transformed into a bird, and new ideas for the Fate Index submitted by our parents. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, x men, x-men, actual play, role playing games, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 15 1 0add3209-16e6-43c1-a665-f08285d5ed71 When the Capitol Islands military forces reveal unsettling tactics for relocating the Touched to the mainland, Danvers escapes from Delvorn with the Sea Mother and is forced to make life-altering decisions in order to continue with her on her quest.

]]> Mon, 17 May 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ When the Capitol Islands military forces reveal unsettling tactics for relocating the Touched to the mainland, Danvers escapes from Delvorn with the Sea Mother and is forced to make life-altering decisions in order to continue with her on her quest.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E14: Chapter Seven - Context Clues Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:26:50 When the Capitol Islands military forces reveal unsettling tactics for relocating the Touched to the mainland, Danvers escapes from Delvorn with the Sea Mother and is forced to make life-altering decisions in order to continue with her on her quest. When the Capitol Islands military forces reveal unsettling tactics for relocating the Touched to the mainland, Danvers escapes from Delvorn with the Sea Mother and is forced to make life-altering decisions in order to continue with her on her quest. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, writing prompt, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing audiobook, fantasy writing, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy no full 14 1 0da19f22-4f4c-460c-a49f-e0c61e8abd9e After learning that one of our big original ideas is now being used by a much more legitimate media venture, we discuss the idea of do-overs and whether or not we'd indulge in them if we had the option. Other topics include Ethan adding bureaucracy to our fantasy tale, the difficulty of dealing with time jumps, and a soon-to-be canon Shrek and Donkey cameo. 

]]> Mon, 17 May 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ After learning that one of our big original ideas is now being used by a much more legitimate media venture, we discuss the idea of do-overs and whether or not we'd indulge in them if we had the option. Other topics include Ethan adding bureaucracy to our fantasy tale, the difficulty of dealing with time jumps, and a soon-to-be canon Shrek and Donkey cameo. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E13: Idea Pillaged Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:23:30 After learning that one of our big original ideas is now being used by a much more legitimate media venture, we discuss the idea of do-overs and whether or not we'd indulge in them if we had the option. Other topics include Ethan adding bureaucracy to our fantasy tale, the difficulty of dealing with time jumps, and a soon-to-be canon Shrek and Donkey cameo. After learning that one of our big original ideas is now being used by a much more legitimate media venture, we discuss the idea of do-overs and whether or not we'd indulge in them if we had the option. Other topics include Ethan adding bureaucracy to our fantasy tale, the difficulty of dealing with time jumps, and a soon-to-be canon Shrek and Donkey cameo. justice league, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, fantasy story, joss whedon, fantasy writing podcast, the nevers, the touched, fantasy no full 13 1 15cd9451-6956-4415-8dc9-65761baf1b02 Faullen Danvers has spent his life on the sea, always mindful to honor its protectors thanks to customs passed down by his father. When the future of Delvorn is compromised, will the Sea Mothers hear his call?

]]> Mon, 3 May 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Faullen Danvers has spent his life on the sea, always mindful to honor its protectors thanks to customs passed down by his father. When the future of Delvorn is compromised, will the Sea Mothers hear his call?

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E12: Chapter Six - The Sea Mothers' Blessing Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:27:13 Faullen Danvers has spent his life on the sea, always mindful to honor its protectors thanks to customs passed down by his father. When the future of Delvorn is compromised, will the Sea Mothers hear his call? Faullen Danvers has spent his life on the sea, always mindful to honor its protectors thanks to customs passed down by his father. When the future of Delvorn is compromised, will the Sea Mothers hear his call? dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d and d, d&d, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy writing, actual play, fantasy writing podcast, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 12 1 c61abb75-7c03-4621-bd9f-c3c9198aa6a1 Desperate to be anywhere other than inside our urban apartments, we discuss the idea of using fantasy as an escape, and how our story isn't a particularly inviting travel destination. Other topics include what exactly constitutes a "monster," Jeff's Haribo Hierarchy, and a new segment about how we're terrible at Twitter.

]]> Mon, 3 May 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Desperate to be anywhere other than inside our urban apartments, we discuss the idea of using fantasy as an escape, and how our story isn't a particularly inviting travel destination. Other topics include what exactly constitutes a "monster," Jeff's Haribo Hierarchy, and a new segment about how we're terrible at Twitter.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E11: Post-Apocalyptic Candy Currency Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:37:20 Desperate to be anywhere other than inside our urban apartments, we discuss the idea of using fantasy as an escape, and how our story isn't a particularly inviting travel destination. Other topics include what exactly constitutes a "monster," Jeff's Haribo Hierarchy, and a new segment about how we're terrible at Twitter. Desperate to be anywhere other than inside our urban apartments, we discuss the idea of using fantasy as an escape, and how our story isn't a particularly inviting travel destination. Other topics include what exactly constitutes a "monster," Jeff's Haribo Hierarchy, and a new segment about how we're terrible at Twitter. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, stardew valley, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, haribo, d and d, d&d, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, actual play, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 11 1 98759c87-4294-4e8f-af3e-186d3bec0088 An outlander comes to the Northern Plateaus looking for leads on a powerful girl whose actions threaten to topple a world that has already been thrown perilously off balance. 

]]> Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ An outlander comes to the Northern Plateaus looking for leads on a powerful girl whose actions threaten to topple a world that has already been thrown perilously off balance. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E10: Chapter Five - Coffee and the Paper Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:28:12 An outlander comes to the Northern Plateaus looking for leads on a powerful girl whose actions threaten to topple a world that has already been thrown perilously off balance. An outlander comes to the Northern Plateaus looking for leads on a powerful girl whose actions threaten to topple a world that has already been thrown perilously off balance. dungeons & dragons, dnd, rpg, critical role, creative writing, the adventure zone, dungeons and dragons, actual play podcast, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, creative writing podcast, fantasy story, audiobook, fantasy no full 10 1 3d2d09d0-e1e3-4450-8564-076e8f7087a5 The Fate Index's bloodlust has left us in a precarious situation. Where do we go from here? How can we possibly salvage this miserably-paced story and sell it to Netflix or Amazon? Other topics include which stories we'd like to see on the big and small screen and how fantasy death is a bit more malleable than non-fantasy death. 

]]> Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ The Fate Index's bloodlust has left us in a precarious situation. Where do we go from here? How can we possibly salvage this miserably-paced story and sell it to Netflix or Amazon? Other topics include which stories we'd like to see on the big and small screen and how fantasy death is a bit more malleable than non-fantasy death. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E09: La Femme Magenta Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:33:22 The Fate Index's bloodlust has left us in a precarious situation. Where do we go from here? How can we possibly salvage this miserably-paced story and sell it to Netflix or Amazon? Other topics include which stories we'd like to see on the big and small screen and how fantasy death is a bit more malleable than non-fantasy death. The Fate Index's bloodlust has left us in a precarious situation. Where do we go from here? How can we possibly salvage this miserably-paced story and sell it to Netflix or Amazon? Other topics include which stories we'd like to see on the big and small screen and how fantasy death is a bit more malleable than non-fantasy death. dungeons & dragons, saga, dnd, rpg, writing podcast, creative writing, dungeons and dragons, video games, earthsea, netflix, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, resident evil, actual play, fantasy writing podcast, lord of the rings, amazon, the boys, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 9 1 984596bc-ccf6-41de-8b09-e2d48cd6f0b9 Shaken from her vision in the cavern, fear begins to cloud the mind of the crimson woman, causing her abilities to falter when Koa desperately needs her assistance.

]]> Mon, 5 Apr 2021 07:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ Shaken from her vision in the cavern, fear begins to cloud the mind of the crimson woman, causing her abilities to falter when Koa desperately needs her assistance.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E08: Chapter Four - The Storm Still Rages Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:33:03 Shaken from her vision in the cavern, fear begins to cloud the mind of the crimson woman, causing her abilities to falter when Koa desperately needs her assistance. Shaken from her vision in the cavern, fear begins to cloud the mind of the crimson woman, causing her abilities to falter when Koa desperately needs her assistance. dnd, rpg, critical role, adventurezone, creative writing, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, actual play podcast, rpg writing, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, fantasy comedy, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 8 1 f062de4f-ed4f-43b0-b26c-2e6e267f9bbf We are forced to deal with the war crimes the Fate Index forced us to commit in Chapter 3 and the fact that our dice rolls so far have been such unrelenting bummers. Other topics include a gacha backpack full of tuna and flaming swords and Jeff's terrible X-Men power.

]]> Mon, 5 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ We are forced to deal with the war crimes the Fate Index forced us to commit in Chapter 3 and the fact that our dice rolls so far have been such unrelenting bummers. Other topics include a gacha backpack full of tuna and flaming swords and Jeff's terrible X-Men power.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E07: Tween Romance Revue Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:32:21 We are forced to deal with the war crimes the Fate Index forced us to commit in Chapter 3 and the fact that our dice rolls so far have been such unrelenting bummers. Other topics include a gacha backpack full of tuna and flaming swords and Jeff's terrible X-Men power. We are forced to deal with the war crimes the Fate Index forced us to commit in Chapter 3 and the fact that our dice rolls so far have been such unrelenting bummers. Other topics include a gacha backpack full of tuna and flaming swords and Jeff's terrible X-Men power. dnd, rpg, writing prompt, creative writing, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, gacha games, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy podcast, fantasy audiobook, genshin impact, audiobook, fantasy comedy, gacha, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 7 1 f5d77041-1743-42f1-8d25-a79991bbca15 With Morwell unconscious and her grandfather missing, Laureena must improvise with what is available on the wrecked trawler and bide her time until help arrives. When she meets another marooned boy named Calix, a deep friendship is quickly forged, and the two decide to take their survival into their own hands. 

]]> Thu, 18 Mar 2021 08:05:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) https://www.coolstoryguys.com/ With Morwell unconscious and her grandfather missing, Laureena must improvise with what is available on the wrecked trawler and bide her time until help arrives. When she meets another marooned boy named Calix, a deep friendship is quickly forged, and the two decide to take their survival into their own hands. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E06: Chapter Three - The Heart of the Flame Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:41:32 With Morwell unconscious and her grandfather missing, Laureena must improvise with what is available on the wrecked trawler and bide her time until help arrives. When she meets another marooned boy named Calix, a deep friendship is quickly forged, and the two decide to take their survival into their own hands. With Morwell unconscious and her grandfather missing, Laureena must improvise with what is available on the wrecked trawler and bide her time until help arrives. When she meets another marooned boy named Calix, a deep friendship is quickly forged, and the two decide to take their survival into their own hands. dungeons & dragons, dnd, rpg, creative writing, dungeons and dragons, d&d, fantasy audiobook, fantasy writing, fantasy story, actual play, role-playing game, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 6 1 03b6cb9e-a198-4ea2-bd64-49564dc3c2ef The dice made us do some things in Chapter 2 that we probably wouldn't have chosen to do ourselves, so we talk all about it. Fearful of being seen as a fraud, Jeff has started playing Dungeons & Dragons again, but is mostly just using it as an excuse to drink wine and eat candy in his bathroom. Ethan begins to realize that every accent he conjures up drags him back to his dark past in Southern Indiana.

]]> Thu, 18 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) coolstoryguys.com The dice made us do some things in Chapter 2 that we probably wouldn't have chosen to do ourselves, so we talk all about it. Fearful of being seen as a fraud, Jeff has started playing Dungeons & Dragons again, but is mostly just using it as an excuse to drink wine and eat candy in his bathroom. Ethan begins to realize that every accent he conjures up drags him back to his dark past in Southern Indiana.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E05: Fantasy Toilet Wine Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:35:36 The dice made us do some things in Chapter 2 that we probably wouldn't have chosen to do ourselves, so we talk all about it. Fearful of being seen as a fraud, Jeff has started playing Dungeons & Dragons again, but is mostly just using it as an excuse to drink wine and eat candy in his bathroom. Ethan begins to realize that every accent he conjures up drags him back to his dark past in Southern Indiana. The dice made us do some things in Chapter 2 that we probably wouldn't have chosen to do ourselves, so we talk all about it. Fearful of being seen as a fraud, Jeff has started playing Dungeons & Dragons again, but is mostly just using it as an excuse to drink wine and eat candy in his bathroom. Ethan begins to realize that every accent he conjures up drags him back to his dark past in Southern Indiana. dungeons & dragons, dnd, rpg, creative writing, haribos, dungeons and dragons, ttrpg, d&d, rpg writing, role-playing games, toilet top rpg, fantasy audiobook, fantasy story, actual play, audiobook, fantasy, creative writing prompt no full 5 1 be37e403-5b30-4475-9507-0b7f59fbb53f Morwell awakens in a brutal and barren landscape, his boat run aground and destroyed. As his clouded memory clears, he realizes that his shipmates are missing and woefully unprepared for their new, dangerous environment. 

]]> Thu, 4 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) coolstoryguys.com Morwell awakens in a brutal and barren landscape, his boat run aground and destroyed. As his clouded memory clears, he realizes that his shipmates are missing and woefully unprepared for their new, dangerous environment. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E04: Chapter Two - An Impossible Sea Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:26:33 Morwell awakens in a brutal and barren landscape, his boat run aground and destroyed. As his clouded memory clears, he realizes that his shipmates are missing and woefully unprepared for their new, dangerous environment. Morwell awakens in a brutal and barren landscape, his boat run aground and destroyed. As his clouded memory clears, he realizes that his shipmates are missing and woefully unprepared for their new, dangerous environment. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing prompt, creative writing, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy audiobook, fantasy story, actual play, audiobook, fantasy no full 4 1 6fdfbdb2-2785-4393-87f5-cf710fac3023 We explore the opening chapter of the book and discuss how the first set of rolls from the Fate Index has set the tone for the story moving forward. Topics include the allure of nameless protagonists, our deep-seated desires to undermine what the other has contributed to the story, and the nihilistic reading habits of Ethan’s toddler son.

]]> Wed, 3 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses) coolstoryguys.com We explore the opening chapter of the book and discuss how the first set of rolls from the Fate Index has set the tone for the story moving forward. Topics include the allure of nameless protagonists, our deep-seated desires to undermine what the other has contributed to the story, and the nihilistic reading habits of Ethan’s toddler son.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E03: Meathands Johnson and the Salmon Man Jeff Kirby, Ethan Moses 00:29:15 We explore the opening chapter of the book and discuss how the first set of rolls from the Fate Index has set the tone for the story moving forward. Topics include the allure of nameless protagonists, our deep-seated desires to undermine what the other has contributed to the story, and the nihilistic reading habits of Ethan’s toddler son. We explore the opening chapter of the book and discuss how the first set of rolls from the Fate Index has set the tone for the story moving forward. Topics include the allure of nameless protagonists, our deep-seated desires to undermine what the other has contributed to the story, and the nihilistic reading habits of Ethan’s toddler son. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, writing prompt, creative writing, storytelling, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy audiobook, the dark tower, fantasy story, nameless protagonist, actual play, the man with no name, adventure zone, the gunslinger, fantasy no full 3 1 7c793647-2825-43aa-9767-ebac64e0076d In the opening chapter of our story we find the island of Koa beset by a mystifying catastrophe: the ocean has disappeared. A storm is raging and the exposed sands cannot be traversed. Terrified, the islanders decide to ask a powerful recluse for her help in discovering the cause of the disappearance.

]]> Tue, 2 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) coolstoryguys.com In the opening chapter of our story we find the island of Koa beset by a mystifying catastrophe: the ocean has disappeared. A storm is raging and the exposed sands cannot be traversed. Terrified, the islanders decide to ask a powerful recluse for her help in discovering the cause of the disappearance.

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E02: Chapter One - The Untouched Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:25:22 In the opening chapter of our story we find the island of Koa beset by a mystifying catastrophe: the ocean has disappeared. A storm is raging and the exposed sands cannot be traversed. Terrified, the islanders decide to ask a powerful recluse for her help in discovering the cause of the disappearance. In the opening chapter of our story we find the island of Koa beset by a mystifying catastrophe: the ocean has disappeared. A storm is raging and the exposed sands cannot be traversed. Terrified, the islanders decide to ask a powerful recluse for her help in discovering the cause of the disappearance. dungeons & dragons, rpg, writing prompt, creative writing, d&d, role-playing games, fantasy audiobook, fantasy story, actual play, audiobook, fantasy no full 2 1 c826acfc-3585-49d3-bb06-84c1e62ced31 Welcome to Cool Story Guys! In this introductory episode we discuss the outline of our collaborative fantasy story and the dice rolls that determined its genre, setting, scope, and more. Topics include a variety of books pertinent to our project that we have not read (and a few we have), how role-playing games have influenced our creative thinking and storytelling processes, and a discussion on the enduring works of Kevin Costner and how all of the good ideas from “Waterworld” will be pilfered for our story. 

]]> Mon, 1 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000 thecoolstoryguys@gmail.com (Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby) coolstoryguys.com Welcome to Cool Story Guys! In this introductory episode we discuss the outline of our collaborative fantasy story and the dice rolls that determined its genre, setting, scope, and more. Topics include a variety of books pertinent to our project that we have not read (and a few we have), how role-playing games have influenced our creative thinking and storytelling processes, and a discussion on the enduring works of Kevin Costner and how all of the good ideas from “Waterworld” will be pilfered for our story. 

]]> Cool Story Guys S01E01: Bone Hammers and Treasure Map Tattoos Ethan Moses, Jeff Kirby 00:32:22 Welcome to Cool Story Guys! In this introductory episode we discuss the outline of our collaborative fantasy story and the dice rolls that determined its genre, setting, scope, and more. Topics include a variety of books pertinent to our project that we have not read (and a few we have), how role-playing games have influenced our creative thinking and storytelling processes, and a discussion on the enduring works of Kevin Costner and how all of the good ideas from “Waterworld” will be pilfered for our story. Welcome to Cool Story Guys! In this introductory episode we discuss the outline of our collaborative fantasy story and the dice rolls that determined its genre, setting, scope, and more. Topics include a variety of books pertinent to our project that we have not read (and a few we have), how role-playing games have influenced our creative thinking and storytelling processes, and a discussion on the enduring works of Kevin Costner and how all of the good ideas from “Waterworld” will be pilfered for our story. dungeons & dragons, rpg, critical role, clan of the cave bear, writing prompt, creative writing, d&d, role-playing-games, waterworld, actual play, audiobook, bone hammer, three body problem, kevin costner, adventure zone, fantasy, map tattoo no full 1 1