Poets At War Episode 232
#PAW232
Broodcast Episode 32
#BC32
(00:00:00) - Intro & Casual Banter
The group catches up, discussing holidays, concert memories, exotic foods, and the new Broodcast background art created by Ian.
(00:15:26) - Ian's Thriller: "Delivery of Doom"
Ian shares a new story set in his Walter Ulrich universe, introducing Mike McGee, a pizza delivery driver in Maine who stumbles into a terrifying situation. On his last delivery of the night, he arrives at a creepy, dilapidated house and comes face-to-face with a monstrous, otherworldly being.
Feedback Focus: Ian asks for help building more suspense and eeriness in the lead-up to the monster's appearance. The group suggests using the five senses to build atmosphere, adding a fake-out scare, and leaning into the established religious elements for the story's climax.
(00:35:52) - Abby's Fantasy: "Rael'thil in the Red"Abby presents a piece from her high-fantasy world, "Asunder." The story follows Rael'thil, a red-coated centaur embittered by the slaughter of his kin. While hunting, he encounters a massive, monstrous troll, only for a wounded fairy warrior to suddenly appear and engage the beast. Rael'thil must decide whether to flee or help the fairy.
Feedback Focus: The group praises the classic fantasy feel and the unique world-building, including the metaphysics of "the veil" that separates the mundane and magical realms.
(00:52:49) - Joshua's Epic Poem: The Aftermath of TragedyJoshua continues his wrestling epic. After learning about wrestler Joshua Slater's tragic past from his former trainer, his manager Jessica finds him in the arena parking lot. She confronts him with compassion, offering her unwavering friendship. Overwhelmed, Joshua responds not with words, but by playing his guitar, and the two share a moment of connection under the moonlight.
Feedback Focus: The consensus is that the pivotal conversation needs more back-and-forth dialogue to feel more satisfying and to give Joshua Slater more agency in the scene.
(01:03:30) - Brendan's Fantasy: A Song of StarsBrendan shares a quiet, character-focused scene. Ternon, a warrior-bard from a nomadic people, is on watch and sings a melancholic song of his homeland, its legends written in the stars. Eleanor, the young woman his group is escorting, overhears him. They share a heartfelt conversation about the constellations, his culture, and his reasons for leaving home to find his own story.
Feedback Focus: The piece is praised for its introspective beauty, strong sense of place, and the effective use of song to convey world-building and character.
(01:19:36) - Joel's Sci-Fi: "Champion Down" (Read by Joshua)The group critiques a chapter from Joel's action-packed sci-fi story. When the heroic soldier Fox goes down in a hostile city, his entire team scrambles to save him, defying orders and protocol. The chapter rapidly shifts perspectives between the captain launching a rescue mission, a multi-armed alien tech expert risking her own life by "over-temping" her brain implants to provide support, and other soldiers racing to an extraction point.
Feedback Focus: The chapter is lauded for its intense, chaotic energy and its effective use of multiple perspectives to show the high stakes and the team's unwavering loyalty to their fallen leader.
(01:37:25) - Outro
"Be your family's bard. Do not turn to the right or to the left and the Lord will be with you wherever you go. We'll see you next time in the trenches on Poets at War."