If you’re wanting a little more improv in your science fantasy space western podcasts, then Moonward: A Midst Roleplaying Story is the series for you. Whether you’re already a fan of Midst or new to this cosmos, Moonward is going to intrigue with its unique narrative style and collection of complicated protagonists. Midst’s creators, Xen, Sara Wile and Matt Roen return for this series, joined by Critical Role’s Marisha Ray and Liam O’Brien. Playing (mostly) new characters searching for Midst’s ill-fated moon, they are quickly swept up the in middle of larger political mechanizations.
Moonward is not your usual actual play series. For one, there are no dice to roll, stats to manage, or HP to track. The choices of the characters fail or succeed by their own decisions. And the will of the guiding narrator, here portrayed by Midst’s co-creator, Xen. They weave the larger narrative, presenting what happens to the players and then it’s up to them to decide how their character acts or reacts in that moment.
Midst’s others co-creators, Sara and Matt are at the table playing Fiona Rue and Dusty Rivers, joined by Marisha and Liam portraying Vesta Starling and Walden Orlock. Four very different characters who all have something in common. They work on the moon. Worked on the moon. Past tense. Because one of the first things to happen in Midst and in Moonward is the moon going Kaboom in a very violent and very spectacular fashion before crashing into the murky, terror-filled darkness of the Fold (a mysterious ocean-adjacent cosmological feature of this setting).
In Midst, the moon falling was just the inciting incident in a much longer domino line of cascading conflict and chaos. But here, in Moonward, for Fiona, Dusty, Walden and Vesta who all got off the moon minutes before it exploded, it marked the moment they watched as their co-workers, friends, and loved ones all fell to an uncertain fate. A month later they’re presented with the chance to mount a rescue mission. But it’s not without its dangers. The Fold has a tendency to have reality altering effects when disturbed, as Fiona and her new left leg/whole new person who didn’t exist before the moon fell (Jacob) know all too well. And if the potentially reality-bending wasn’t dangerous enough, there’s already a brewing power struggle for the moon that our four heroes(?) find themselves in the middle of.
On of the best parts of Moonward is having new players at the table with the very people who created the universe itself. While Xen may be the Guiding Narrator, because there is no dice to roll, no official rule set to follow, the players can add to the world and mythos when the inspiration strikes. By the end of the first episode Marisha and Liam have both left their marks in different ways. There’s a certain charm getting to watch of the creators of something be surprised and elated by what someone else brings to their creation. Such as when Marisha adds penguins to the Midst cosmos.
For returning fans of Midst, there’s a lot to look forward to here: from returning familiar faces to getting to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Fold (literally and metaphorically). The mystery of the moon and why it fell was only ever partly explored in Midst. Moonward gets to tell the story of the people who were on the moon and what happened to them. And as the four-part series continues, more mysteries and previous unexploded facets of the Midst universe will be unveiled.
However, new viewers don’t need any knowledge of Midst or its cosmically spanning, character driven, society changing events. You just need to know the moon explodes. Moonward stands on its own, with its own cast of quirky and complicated characters to get to know. If that’s not enough to spark interest, then the knowledge that guiding narrator Xen, accentuates the story with live in the moment audio, music, and lighting production should. It’s a front-row seat kind of experience. The first episode of Moonward is now available on Midst’s YouTube channel, with the second episode already available for Beacon and Fold members.
Images via Critical Role
Have strong thoughts about this piece you need to share? Or maybe there’s something else on your mind you’re wanting to talk about with fellow Fandomentals? Head on over to our Community server to join in the conversation!
