Monday February 5th saw the start of Realms of Peril & Glory‘s new season of their Liminal London Actual Play podcast: Loose Change.
For the uninitiated, Realms of Peril & Glory is a podcast that use Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs) to tell incredible stories with big laughs and big heart. Their Liminal London series is played in the game of Liminal, a TTRPG all about the boundary between the modern day UK and the hidden world of fantastical societies and creatures. Realms of Peril & Glory‘s Liminal London follows the stories of the people caught between these two worlds. After the success of its first three seasons, a prequel, and a live show at Dragonmeet 2023, Liminal London is back for its fourth season: Loose Change.
The team at Realms were kind enough to let me have a listen to the first two episodes of this seven episode season. Read on to hear my thoughts.
If you would like to check out this new Liminal London series, Loose Change, you can do so through Realms of Peril & Glory‘s website or by searching ‘Realms of Peril & Glory’ wherever you listen to podcasts. Episodes are released every Monday from February 5th to March 18th. If you would like to support the channel further head over to the Light & Tragic Company Patreon. There you can get exclusive benefits including shout-outs, bonus shows and original scores.
The Story – Big Changes in the Hidden City
Previous seasons of Realms’ Liminal London have given us numerous adventures in London’s Hidden City. We’ve been introduced to many colorful factions and cultures along the way. These include the vampiric Sanguine Society, the Lambeth Co-operative werewolf pack, Fae Courts and more. The central cast of characters, and their associates, have had many deadly misadventures and dealings with these various groups. As audience members, we’ve been offered glimpses of the mysteries of the Hidden City that seem to hint at even greater secrets to uncover.
The Liminal London core cast: Liz, Zack, Pip and Naomi are an absolute riot!
Listening to Loose Change so far, there’s been a strong sense that strange things are afoot. Things that threaten to change the balance of power and challenge what we know about the Hidden City. Zack Fortais-Gomm, the producer of Realms of Peril of Glory had this to say about Liminal London so far and the release of its fourth season:
We knew we had something special with this mystery. Loose Change plants us firmly into Liminal’s second act and moves us closer to finale.
Whilst previous seasons were typically four episodes long, Loose Change is nearly twice as long at seven episodes. The story revolves around investigating a cold case which has haunted the group for most of the series. The group’s shadowy patron known as the Extreme Witch brings them a new lead which promises to shed some new light on this dark mystery. Already in the first two episodes, we’ve had a few tantalizing revelations that have left me hungry to learn more in the five remaining episodes!
Characters & Performances – Beautiful Chemistry and Growth
The core cast of Liminal London return in this epic new mystery. GM, Zack Fortais-Gomm sets the scene and brings the Hidden City to life for us and the players. Liz Campbell returns as American werewolf in London, Mags Holt. Pip Gladwin reprises his role as former P-Division (magical policeforce) inspector, Declan Buchanan. Whilst Naomi Clarke reprises her role as the irrepressible young wizard, Three-Card Monty!
I would definitely recommend watching their previous misadventures together to really understand the characters and their journeys. However, all three give such strong performances, you quickly get a sense of their characters and their chemistry.
One of the beautiful things about this show is that it provides a full spectrum of drama. This ranges all the way from introspective soul searching, to laugh out loud comedy. We go from experiencing the pathos of someone far from home wondering how life could have been, to the comedy of a dysfunctional circus troupe.
The chemistry between Zack, Liz, Pip and Naomi is truly magical. Whether they’re in the flow of performance or just chatting as themselves, they are always raucously entertaining. Comedy quips are enacted with barely a beat missing and with infectious mirth.
Zack and his players clearly share a lot of trust in each other. The cast are able to take the action in bold directions that would flummox a lesser game master. However, Zack works with his players to allow these new narrative directions to seamlessly continue the story. As GM, Zack has a huge repertoire of characters to perform as. Fans of previous episodes of Liminal London will welcome the return of classic characters like Nana Barker as well as new new characters for the cast to poke and prod.
Sound – Top Quality Effects and Original Scores
As ever, Realms of Peril & Glory‘s sound design in Loose Change is immaculate. Wherever the action goes, we always feel right in the moment. The sounds of werewolves howling with the crackling of a campfire help us feel we’re out with Mags on the night of a hunt.
Audio effects are used to bring about small but meaningful touches. This includes the sound of a voice on the phone or someone typing. They are also used for great effect to help us get into the mindset of the characters. For example, there is muffling, ringing effect used as Declan reels over an incredible revelation while his companions try to speak to him.
As with previous series, composer and Realms core member, James Barbarossa treats us to an incredible original soundtrack. We hear a lot of familiar themes that instantly put us back on the mean streets of Liminal London or reconnect us with our favorite characters. There are also plenty of new tracks that carry new themes and meanings with them. They help us guide us on the story’s emotive journey from identity crises to fast paced bus chases. Below is a part of one of James’ new tracks, Crackdown Suite – Action:
It's Music Monday once again, as Liminal London: Loose Change pt 2 drops today @RealmsPod! With @LizxCampbell, @naomithinksit, @Pip_Gladwin and @zackfg, and I've got more music from the series to preview for you.
It's some more combat music from me today, with Crackdown: Action! https://t.co/pRjl5wfLdq pic.twitter.com/yPCC5Vb0z2
— James Barbarossa (@barbarossaphone) February 12, 2024
The full album for Liminal London is also available for download on Realms of Peril & Glory’s Patreon.
Editing & Pacing – Measured Drama to Explosive Action Scenes!
Realms of Peril of Glory episodes always have a great cinematic feel to them. The first two episodes of Loose Change are no exception! There are sequences that feel that you’re right in an action movie. Here, the performances of the cast are tightly edited along with Zack describing the action and the associated sound effects. Without giving too much away, the aforementioned bus chase is beautifully edited to make the pace match the breakneck action!
There is time for Zack and the players to talk tactics and have a few laughs without taking too much time away from the drama. The pace starts pretty leisurely in episode one to reestablish the characters and where they’re at. From then on, the pace quickens as revelations are revealed, investigations begin and the action picks up in episode two, ending on a deadly cliffhanger!
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- Liz Campbell as Mags Holt – a werewolf with a complicated relationship with being a werewolf.
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- Naomi Clarke as Three Card Monty – a young wizard from the estate that your mum warned you about!
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- Pip Gladwin as Declan Buchanan – a fae-cursed detective given a chance at getting his old life back.
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- Zack Fortais Gomm as the GM – the puppet master taking us on this twisted journey!
