This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Brandon Crilly, author of Catalyst and Bestiarium Vocabulum.

About Catalyst: Street magician Mavrin Leed doesn’t believe in what he can’t see or prove. His performances are mere tricks; the only true magic in Aelda comes from the benevolent, god-like Aspects circling it. As long as They keep the Lifesphere intact, he stays out of Their way.

Labeled a heretic, Eyasu Temergon is convinced that Aelda’s true history was hidden, even from the Aspects. He scours forgotten shadows for proof of the Raw, creatures of energy tied to the fracturing of his world. When their sudden emergence leads to destruction and chaos, Eyasu puts aside his estrangement with his old friend, and hopes Mavrin can do the same.

Ex-soldier Deyeri Renn has a mystery of her own: why are her city’s leaders so interested in the Raw? She spent too long fighting in the Winds to let a myth harm her city, and too many years alone to accept the life-worn man who bumbles back into her home, with no right to ask for her help.

As Deyeri, Mavrin, and Eyasu unpack the secrets that once drove them apart, every seal in their relationship means one more crack that could unravel Aelda’s very existence.

About Bestiarium Vocabulum: When orcs, dragons, and rampaging elephants just won’t do to keep your adventuring party challenged — we’ve got you covered!

Within the pages of this tome you will find over 150+ new creatures — some malevolent, some benign, and others inhumanly indifferent — to challenge, terrify, inspire, and enchant your players in new and exciting ways! These unique creatures, each of which has a full description (with Traits) and a color illustration, are grouped into categories for easy reference: Abominations, Giants, Constructs, Undead, Otherworldly, and more — they’re all here in one handy book!

About Brandon Crilly: An Ottawa teacher by day, Brandon Crilly has been previously published by Daily Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, Fusion Fragment, Haven Spec, and other markets. His debut fantasy novel Catalyst was published by Atthis Arts in October 2022, followed shortly by his first games publication, Bestiarium Vocabulum, from Fat Goblin Games. In 2021, he co-founded Bag of Giving, a monthly Twitch series where authors play TTRPGs for charity. He’s also an Aurora Award-winning podcaster, conference organizer for Can*Con, a reviewer, and regularly has too many D&D campaign ideas than he could ever fit into his schedule.

This week’s picks:

• Brandon: Reboot (Hulu)
• Tracy: Glass Onion (Netflix)
• Patrick: Willow (Disney+)

Links:

• Brandon Crilly on Twitter
• Tracy Townsend on Twitter
• Patrick Hester on Twitter
• The Functional Nerds Patreon Page

© 2023 Patrick Hester

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