So, I want to tell a story. Specifically, I have a story that I very much want to tell through the form of a narrative play podcast.

It's a story that's been percolating in me ever since I first had the idea to run a Dark Souls themed campaign, only it's grown into something far larger in my mind since then.

If you're one of the few who listened to the episodes of @aiiRPGcast I put out, then you already know the basics. A world cursed with undeath, all emanating from the city of Gran Riqueza, exploring the loss of memory and identity that comes with that cycle of death and rebirth.

Dark Souls with the serial numbers filed off, to be sure, but focused as much on the interpersonal cost of that cycle as it is on the way fear of death and loss circulates and shapes the world at large.

So, I have the story. There are more layers and details I'm working on of course, and plans for the shape of the overall narrative, but those are all things that can (and hopefully will) come together in the actual making of it.

Here's my problem: I know the best way to realize this story is through a narrative play podcast, but I also hate, hate audio editing. Like, truly despise it, it's one of my least favorite things to do.

But I have *exacting* standards for audio quality in podcasts, and I refuse to create audio I wouldn't be willing to listen to myself.

So, I need an editor. Or, at least, a co-editor, who can help lessen the workload on me so I can focus on the storytelling aspect primarily. Or, a lot of lead-up time to create a significant enough backlog that there's no rush on production.

Money or time. Maybe this project is worth starting a Kickstarter over, if it comes down to that. That problem is feasibly fixable at least though.

The other problem is much more significant though, and that's that I just don't know enough people who I'd trust are the right kind of players to fill out the cast of this podcast. Because I very specifically need players who are focused on playing their character first,

and not just the game, and they also have to be confident enough that each of them is capable of driving the story forward when the situation calls for it.

Were it not for COVID, I'd have a solution for this: go to a bunch of local game nights, talk to people, get to know them, and try and find people in my local community who effectively fit that bill. But, you know, lockdown and all.

So, I'm kinda stuck, left continuing to let ideas for the narrative and such percolate, but without much in the way of opportunity for making those ideas a reality. I guess I don't really have a good end to this thread either, just kinda thinking out loud.

@joelwruiz I am curious if you have any advice or suggestions on this front. You seem to have a great knack for getting all kinds of people together for Critical Bits after all