Hi Scott! Welcome to TheCursed.org. In response to your questions...

1.) The Ecclesia's mainstream clergy consists of priests (all male), who answer to a bishop, who answers to a metropolitan (who is also an archbishop), who answers to the Patriarch. There are also monks, friars and nuns, who answer to abbots and abbesses, who answer to the metropolitan in charge of their region.

The Meraist Church consists of priests and priestesses (mostly the latter), who answer to a head priest or head priestess, who answers to an overseer, who is a member of the Council of Overseers, which answers to St. Merai. Monastic orders generally answer to the overseer in charge of their region.

Other religious groups may vary widely in their organization and titles. Many Rebuilder (Protestant) factions refer to their spiritual leaders as pastors rather than priests. Universalist religions may have priests, pastors, monks, or any number of other figures as their prime sources of religious authority.

2.) Priests in both the Ecclesia and the Church of St. Merai must undergo formal training at theological schools instituted for that purpose. Most Rebuilder factions and Universalist faiths also require some sort of theological training, though they vary widely in their requirements.

Priest of the Ecclesia are required to abstain from using magic, though Eli is known to grant them some supernatural powers through his own means when the need arises. Meraist priests are generally encouraged to develop any magical talents they may have and use them for the glory of Eli, but such powers are not a prerequisite to service. Psi is not widespread enough to have become a major point of doctrine for either church, though there are several all-psi chapters among the Meraists.

3.) The yew tree is the type of tree on which Yahshua was crucified; a stylized version of this tree is used in the religious symbols of both the Ecclesia and the Meraist Church. The symbol looks a bit like the Celtic "Tree of Life" in our world.

4.) There are some magical artifacts from the past that will resurface during the Metamor City story arc, but most of them are MUCH older than the time of the original Metamor Keep stories. (That period was a time when magic was at its lowest ebb, so new artifacts weren't being made.) One religious/magical artifact that has already made an appearance in the podcast is Janus's sword, Elemacil. This blade was wielded by the Lightbringer high priestess Raven hin'Elric during the Metamor Keep stories and has been passed down through the generations to Janus. It remains one of the most potent daedra-killing weapons ever created.

Keep it on the bright side,

Chris

Hello Chris,

Let me start off by saying that I am really really enjoying Metamor City. Fantastic podcast.

Now onto the question.

Do Dragons exist in the world of Metamor? If so is it possible that we will see a dragon involved in a future short story, novella, or even a second full size novel in Metamor City?

Reason I ask is that I am a big fan of dragons in all their various shapes, colors, and forms. I think it'd be interesting to see how a dragon would handle itself in a world that is as technologically as advance as the world of Metamor. Any response is greatly apprecited.

Waranis

Hi Waranis!

Yes, dragons exist in the world of Metamor City. Because they are large, require huge amounts of resources, and generally dislike being told what to do by anyone, they mostly keep to themselves in the mountains west of Metamor City. The Dragon Federation is isolationist in the extreme: they maintain a no-fly zone around their borders and prohibit satellites from taking pictures of their turf. Trespassers are disabled, captured, and evicted, if not actually eaten. Unmanned vehicles are vaporized. The dragons have access to magic that the rest of the world knows nothing about, including defense shields that could stop any weapon ever created by man -- and mega-spells that make nuclear weapons look cute by comparison.

Some dragons DO choose to take a more active role in society, but they do so undercover. Dragons gain powers as they get older, and the elder ones can shapeshift into other forms and maintain those forms indefinitely. The handful of dragons who do wander about the Empire generally do so in human or Elven guise.

You probably will see dragons take a minor role in some upcoming stories. I prefer not to use them too much, though, because they're so overpowered that they put the human (and near-human) heroes out of the limelight. Plus, as noted, they're a cranky lot of reptiles who generally prefer to be left alone. :)

Cheers,

Chris

Ok, I feel like a geek for even thinking of the next two questions, but:

If the vast majority of the humanoid species in your story can interbreed, does that suggest that they all have some common evolutionary ancestry, or did they get molded that way for a specific purpose?

Moreover, if things (say, fey) that can willingly change their appearance, or take on one form or other, can breed with humans (or elves, or what have you):  do they make the choice to take on a breed-able form because they have to, or is there some other reason?

Oh, and are we going to hear anything from/about Big Momma?  I get that she's a little busy, but you really wet my appetite on her and now she seems to be another piece of scenery...literally!  :-P

Hi Seemstress!

Don't worry about asking geeky questions; those are my favorite kind. ;)

> If the vast majority of the humanoid species in your story can
interbreed,
> does that suggest that they all have some common
evolutionary ancestry,
> or did they get molded that way for a specific
purpose?

The history of life on Metamor's Earth is deliberately ambiguous. The presence of verifiable divine beings -- many of whom are less than completely honest or forthright -- makes it difficult to tell what the true history of the world actually is. Matters are made more complicated by the fact that human civilization has suffered repeated collapses throughout history, so many of the records of our beginnings have been lost.

It is beyond argument that the Earth is quite old, and that evolution has taken place and continues to take place among Earth's biota. However, there are also clear instances of living things being created suddenly and spontaneously, or undergoing dramatic reshaping into new forms, at the instigation of various superhuman forces. (One might say "supernatural", except that it isn't clear that these beings are not themselves part of the "natural" order of creation.) The origins of some species are clearer than those of others:

Dragons: Almost certainly the oldest sentient beings native to Earth. They claim to have been the Earth's guardians in the early ages, when it was born out of fire and water. Their bodies physically resemble the fossils of many great reptiles that have been discovered from the Earth's early history, but the dragons claim to have no more in common with those creatures than humans have with rodents. Their bodies are deeply tied to elemental magic, which is itself the most primal form of magic known, which reinforces the idea that they are tied to the Earth's origins. The dragons do not speak of their religion to outsiders, but their unusual nature does seem to suggest that they were some sort of special creation by a divine agency. Their biological bodies seem to be a secondary and fluid aspect of their nature: most older dragons have no trouble taking on humanoid form, and when they do so they are fully sexually compatible with the mortal races – a fact that gives biologists fits, since dragons sit at least one remove from any other form of biological life now in existence. Some believe that the dragons' reptilian forms might not be their “true” or original forms, either – that they were elemental beings that became cloaked in flesh after life had evolved to a certain stage of development. The dragons themselves don't keep written records of their history, so the truth may never be known.

Humans: Either they evolved from earlier mammals, or they were created in the mammalian image by a divine agency. Either way, various divine powers have taken an interest in humans since the early days of their existence, with effects both beneficial and baneful. Legends around the world speak of a Garden of Paradise from which humanity emerged around 15-20,000 years ago, founding a great maritime empire that settled the coastlands of all five habitable continents. The so-called Lost Kingdom was destroyed in a cataclysm when the polar ice caps suddenly melted about 10,000 years ago, flooding the lowlands around the world and destroying all of their cities. Small pockets of humanity survived, mostly outcasts from the Lost Kingdom who had fled to the mountains or boarded great boats in response to warnings of divine judgment. (According to most of the legends, the Lost Kingdom was hideously wicked and degenerate, and the cataclysm was a punishment for their pride and arrogance.) If the Garden ever existed, it was cast into the sea along with the Lost Kingdom; possible traces of it have been found off the southeastern coast of Irombi, but no one can be sure if that's actually what they've found.

Theriomorphs: While their bodies have been changed by the Curse, the animal-people of Metamor remain fundamentally human. Some children will retain animal forms at birth, if their parents are both of the same type, but most are born human and remain fully intercompatible with other humans (barring any physical limitations due to size and shape).

Fae: The Fae are products of the Dreamlands, a plane of existence that is infused with a primal creative force called the Numen. The Numen can't be studied by mortals, except through its manifestations in the Fae, but it is clearly powerful, mysterious, and wild. Universalists believe it is the undifferentiated essence of the Creator, soul-stuff that was left over when He/She/It sacrificed itself to create the universe. Whatever it is, it is capable of spontaneous creation when it is introduced to the thoughts of sentient beings. Faeries are beings that were brought into existence when the minds of sleeping mortals touched the Numen and it brought their dreams or nightmares to life.

Because they come from the minds of mortals, the Fae share biological kinship with the mortals whose imaginations spawned them. That's why many faeries can interbreed with humans: they are the twisted reflections of how humans envisioned themselves and each other. The same Numen that gives them life also makes the Fae wild, dangerous and unpredictable; it is a force that cannot and will not be tamed.

Faery biology tends to adhere more closely to dream-logic than science when they are in the Dreamlands, which has led to the creation of centaurs, satyrs and other half-animal folk. Once these creatures cross over into the mortal world, though, they begin to lose some of their magical nature. Those that “go native” on the material plane will adhere more closely to the laws of that world with each succeeding generation; they will always be more closely tied to the powers of magic than humans are, but they will age and die in the usual fashion of mortal beings. Most of them, however, do remain genetically compatible with the mortals whose imaginations spawned their ancestors.

Elves: There are two schools of thought about the origins of the Elves. The traditional view is that they were an act of special creation by the All-Father, one of the fabled “Three Races” who, along with Humans and Dragons, were the original templates from which all other mortal races were derived. (Many modern scholars now believe this viewpoint is prejudiced, driven more by the Elves' lofty opinions of themselves than by the merits of the evidence.)

The Elves certainly have a common origin of some kind with Humanity, since the two races can interbreed so readily, but it's unclear whether that is due to a shared evolutionary heritage or a shared Designer. Elven traits express themselves very oddly in Elf/human crossbreeds: you can get a half-Elf, but not a 3/4-Elf or a 1/4-Elf. This indicates that there is a magical component to “Elvishness” that cannot be regained completely after it is mixed with human genes.

In light of this, some radical scholars have suggested that Elves are actually a kind of debased Fae: They might be descended from powerful Sidhe that immigrated to Earth in the distant past and eventually lost most of their powers, while retaining exceptionally long lifespans and a connection to nature. The Elves themselves find this idea distasteful, since they are used to seeing themselves as the ideal of mortal-kind rather than a tarnished image of something that came from the minds of Humans. Oddly enough, many humans dislike the idea, as well, but it does have the advantage of presuming only one origin for the humanoid races.

Lutins: The lutins claim a distant kinship with Elves, but most Elves discount this as ludicrous. Regardless, lutins are intercompatible with humans, just as Elves are, so a common link of some kind must exist. The scholars who put forth the Fae theory of Elven origins believe that lutins are descended from another type of debased faery. The lutins do bear some resemblance to the goblins of Faerie's Winter Court, so it's not impossible that goblins who migrated to the mortal world might have evolved into lutins over thousands of years.

Vampires: Created by the dark goddess Lilith, one of the two nature goddesses of the now-fallen pantheon. The first vampires were made from Elves, but the magical contagion that creates them is equally transferable to humans.

True Lycanthropes: Created by Lilith from humans. They are no longer genetically compatible with humans, except through the use of magic.

Nagas: Created from humans by Rukil, the Lord of Stone and Serpents. One of the lesser gods of the pantheon, he wanted a race to be his chosen servants, so he manufactured them to suit his whims. Like the lycanthropes, they are no longer intercompatible with humans without the aid of magic.

Maeril (Merfolk): The first Maeril was created from a human woman who had an affair with Wvelkim, god of the sea. She was spurned by her people for getting pregnant out of wedlock, and when she told them that she carried the god's child they set out to kill her for blasphemy. Wvelkim rescued her, changed her into a sea creature, and destroyed the village in punishment. He elevated her to demigod status, and she lives on still as the Queen and ancestor of all Maeril.

Giants: Now extinct, this once-great civilization lived in the Northlands of Galendor. Their origins are unknown, but they probably represent a completely different evolutionary branch from the humanoids.

Asimaar & Tieflings: These creatures are mortals with a touch of aedra or daedra in their bloodlines. Aedra and daedra's essence is independent of their their physical forms, so they can take on whatever genetic structure is necessary to breed with whatever species they need to. One exception are the incubi/succubae, who have evolved into a symbiotic (or parasitic) relationship with humans; they are dependent on humanity (and some human-derived Fae) as hosts for their reproductive cycle. Their children turn into full-blooded incubi and succubae upon reaching sexual maturity, unless special rituals are done to lock them into a tiefling form instead.

> Oh, and are we going to hear anything from/about Big Momma? 
> I get that she's a little busy, but you really wet my appetite on her
> and now she seems to be another piece of scenery...literally!  :-P

Majestrix Kyia WILL be making appearances eventually, and she has an important role to play in the ongoing story arc. I'm trying to limit her involvement in the lives of the mortal heroes, though; not only is she busy, but she'd be a literal deus ex machina. Kyia believes in letting mortals solve most of their problems for themselves, lest they become dependent on her and begin to worship her as a goddess. St. Merai limits her activities for the same reason, though you'll occasionally see her poke her head into things, as well.

Whew! Hope that I kept things interesting through all of that. :)

Cheers,

Chris

Hello, Almighty Speaker from Beyond the World, aka Chris.divdivSo, how does the healing arts work?  I'm assuming that there's several different styles, depending on what angle you're starting from (physical, metaphysical, divine, telepathic)... but what is most common?divdivJaenelledivtwitter: mgcady

Hi Jaenelle!

The Meraist Church, the Lothanasi and the field medics of the International Red Spiral all practice something known as the Light Healing, an ancient technique that requires the healer to envision the healing required and project that image into the patient's body. Light Healing is very effective against most forms of injuries, but it cannot repair damage to the brain or spinal cord. It is also very taxing for the healer's body, since it draws on the healer's own life force in order to work. The Light Healing technique was taught to mortals by the goddess Akkala in the distant past, but it does not actually depend on divine energy in order to function. It's probably more closely related to the Eastern concept of chi manipulation.

Ecclesiast priests get access to bonafide divine healing from Eli, but it isn't as reliable as the Light Healing. When an Ecclesiast priest anoints the sick according to the ancient sacrament, the person is healed about 25% of the time (though not always on the first time -- perseverance is a virtue). On the bright side, Eli's divine healing can restore injuries and heal diseases that are beyond the Light Healing's capabilities. (Meraists can also anoint the sick in Eli's name, but they usually try the Light Healing first if they can.)

Lastly, psychic healers like Daniel can use their gifts to heal people directly. Like the Light Healing, this is taxing on the psi's body. Some people who have studied the Light Healing and psi-healing believe that they are the same talent, which may answer why some people can learn to use the Light Healing and others can't: it may be a sort of idiot-savant manifestation of psionic ability, a single-use power that is unconnected to any talent for telepathy. If this is indeed the case, then psi/light healing is the most common psi discipline in the world.

Wow.  Actually, yes:  that was pretty damn interesting!  Either this is an absurdly well-developed world...or all of our questions are making it that way!!!  ;-)

On a related note, if you could email me your mailing address (scafleet @ gmail dot com), I have some extra holiday baking laying around.  I'm betting you could use the sugar to help fuel the world!

> Wow.  Actually, yes:  that was pretty damn interesting! 
> Either
this is an absurdly well-developed world...or all of our
> questions are
making it that way!!!  ;-)

*grin* It's about 60/40 between stuff I already thought up and things I came up with to answer people's questions. That one, though, I'd already established on the writers' wiki.

I have sort of an obsessive-compulsive approach to world building: I'll get on a topic that interests me and end up writing reams of background on that aspect of the setting. Meanwhile, some other basic aspects of the universe get left with little or no development, until such time as I need them.

Hi Chris. Just wondering (since I can't seem to find the info anywhere on your site), is Making The Cut available as a book? I think my wife would really enjoy it, but I doubt I'll be able to turn her on to a podcast.

Hi Wolfer!

At this time MAKING THE CUT is only available in audio form. After it is completed, though, I am considering making it available as a PDF and Print-on-Demand book. It needs some editing before it goes to print, though.

Cheers,

Chris

Etherius if you where to set this up as a role top game. would you use
the slandered 3d6's for the  str dex and other stats or would you use a d20 ?

Hi Cerberus!

I'd probably leave that choice up to the game designers. Actually, I've recently become interested in the dice pool mechanic, since it allows for a very broad array of possible power levels. That means that characters would roll a certain number of d10s for each stat and try to reach a target difficulty for the task in question. (The specifics of how dice are added up varies from system to system; for a cinematic game, one option I like is to let people add up #-of-a-kind or straights, while discarding the rest of the dice. That lets mundane heroes occasionally accomplish events of extraordinary difficulty.) You can also spend "drama points" or "hero points" to get extra dice for a given roll.

thats cool the white wolf thing I forgot about that one
it would work good in your game

Hi Chris...me again :P

I was wondering, when it comes to magic ability, is there a threshhold level of power one needs to cross before they're allowed into any of the guilds, or do the guilds just snap up anyone with even a smidgin of power?

Sorry if 'guild' is the wrong term. :)

Hi Chris...me again :P

I was wondering, when it comes to magic ability, is there a threshhold level of power one needs to cross before they're allowed into any of the guilds, or do the guilds just snap up anyone with even a smidgin of power?

Sorry if 'guild' is the wrong term. :)

Hello,

Have a new question, at least I could not find the answer.  Why is it that Androgynes can only be in the male form for a 12 hour
period and there is not a limit to the time they can be in their female
form?



ie. Danni was in the form used for days if not weeks.

Hi Outcast!

There are thousands of guilds out there -- remember, 1 in 5 people have at least some magical talent -- and they tend to have different emphases and specialties. There are low-level "hedge wizard" guilds that are designed to teach people practical uses for relatively menial magical talents, much like the trade schools that we have to teach people blue-collar professions. There are also high-powered, elite guilds that focus on experimental research and admit only the most talented applicants into their ranks. And then there are all of the guilds in between, which may be organized around common religious/philosophical beliefs, a specific school of magic, a common social class or ethnicity, or dedication to a specific cause.  Some guilds are enormous, with hundreds of chapters and worldwide distribution; others may have as few as thirteen members and only admit a new applicant when an old one dies.

Obviously some people's talents are more highly prized by the guilds, and someone who displays an impressive level of natural ability is more likely to be offered an apprenticeship in one of the upper-tier guilds. But there's more to magic than natural talent; master wizards also look for a temperament that matches the things they're trying to teach, and for a sincere willingness to dedicate oneself to the ethos of the guild. When you accept an apprenticeship, you're basically putting your life in someone else's hands, so it's not a decision that should be made lightly -- for the apprentice OR for the master.

> Have a new question, at least I could not find the answer.
> Why is it that Androgynes can only be in the male form for a
> 12 hour period and there is not a limit to the time they can
> be in their female form?

Hi Beans!

Good question. The reason has to do with the fact that the androgyne Curse originally stuck the person PERMANENTLY in the form of the opposite sex. Remember, it was originally a weapon designed to turn Metamor's soldiers into pleasure slaves for the Dark Wizard's army.

Once Majestrix Kyia figured out how to control the Curse -- mostly, anyway -- she was able to adjust the weave of the magic so that the Cursed person could temporarily return to his/her original form. Doing this is contrary to what the spell wants to do to the person's body, though, so the androgyne builds up "shifting stress" if s/he returns to his/her born sex for too long. There's no limit to how long they can stay in the "dominant form" because that's the form they were changed into; that's the form the spell "wants" them to stay in.

Thus, Danni and Eva can stay in their female forms indefinitely, because they were both born male and then turned female by the Curse. An androgyne who was born female and then turned male would be able to stay male indefinitely, and would only be able to stay female for about 12 hours at a time. (And yes, that means that F-to-M androgynes can't get pregnant; they don't stay female long enough to ovulate. On the bright side, they don't get periods, either.)

I have a question, and it might seem silly, but it's one that I have pondered over a number of times, even so far as to want to call it in, but then chicken out because it might be too silly.

What exactly is the meaning behind the title "Making the cut". I don't fully grasp why the story is named that. And on whose story-arc it is meant to point to.

*edit*
Oh and another question, but it might be spoilerific. Will Daniel have to own up to/be confronted with what happened at the terminal, when he healed whatshisname (I'm ashamed but I can't for the life of me recall his name), who then went and killed two of Daniel's friends?

Madjo Gray I think  what the behind the title "Making the cut"  is that you have to be so high of a power to get a breeding cell

Ah ok. But it could also be reflected to the story arc for Abbey Preston. She was from outside the psi-collective, but had high potential. (and who knows what her child might be able to do).

(and of course I meant Victor) :)

Etherius when do you think you put your cast on podiobooks ?

Hi Madjo!

"Making the Cut" is a sports/military analogy meaning that a person is considered qualified to be on the team. The idea of passing a test or going through an ordeal in order to qualify oneself is a theme that pops up repeatedly through the story. Daniel doesn't make the first "cut" and then has to change the rules of the game by turning himself into an androgyne. Brian makes the initial cut, but then has to prove himself by fulfilling the mission given to him; when he fails, he then has to find a way to redeem himself.

The title also echoes something that Evan says about the Psi Collective: "You can't get anywhere in a warlike culture unless you're strong enough to make the cut for the army." The Collective's obsession with preparing for a war they consider inevitable is a theme that is very important to the ongoing story arc, and it drives nearly all of the conflict in this book.

> Will Daniel have to own up to/be confronted with what
> happened at the
terminal, when he healed whatshisname
> (I'm ashamed but I can't for the
life of me recall his name),
> who then went and killed two of Daniel's
friends?

One theme that I hope is clear throughout the book is that secrets are toxic. Hiding the truth has consequences, and it often harms people in ways that are impossible to predict before hand. Daniel is going to learn that, just as all of our other characters will -- sooner or later. :)

Thanks for the questions!

Cheers,

Chris

I have a question pertaining to the vampies. In the chapter explaining Seraleena's back story there was mention of a religion hunting vampires in the past. It was mention that vampires are "protected". Here is my question,

Are there still vampire hunters out there? Think Blade from the comic/movies, is there someone or some group like him that continue to hunt vampires in a clandestine way?

Also another question just popped into my head. This pertains to the Military Intelligence Division. Is the MID part of the Psi Collective or is it part of the Metamor Empire? From the story it sounds like its part of the Psi Collective but I could be wrong.

> Are there still vampire hunters out there? Think Blade from the
>  comic/movies, is there someone or some group like him that
> continue to
hunt vampires in a clandestine way?

Officially, the Lothanasi are responsible for enforcing the social contract between vampires and mortals; a vampire who feeds on humans without their consent is subject to being hunted down and terminated by Lightbringer agents. Of course, proving a lack of consent gets a little murky sometimes, and the vamps have used their influence in the Senate to give themselves as large a loophole as possible.

So yes, sometimes people take the law into their own hands. There probably isn't a large, organized group hunting vampires within the Empire, but there may be such organizations in other nations, and there are almost certainly lone vigilantes and small cells of extremists who believe that the only rational solution to the vampire problem is to dust them all. Naturally, such people are criminals, which means that the mortal authorities sometimes have to hunt down people whom they might actually agree with on a lot of things.

> Is the MID part of the Psi Collective or is it part of the Metamor Empire?

MID is a branch of the Imperial Ministry of Defense. It handles all of the roles played by the CIA, NSA, DIA, and the other 13 elements of the US intelligence community, as well as other divisions that could only exist in a fantasy world like Metamor's. The psi-ops branch is one such division -- or would be, if it existed. Which it doesn't. Just ask anyone in MID, they'll tell you. And then you'll forget you asked. ;-)

The Empire of Metamor has an unparalleled advantage over all other nations because of a secret alliance it has formed with the Psi Collective. The Collective sends many of its best and brightest members to serve tours of duty in MID, doing the dirty work that must be done but mustn't be tied back to the Empire. Magic can often be traced back to its practitioner, which would compromise operational security within MID. Psi, on the other hand, is untraceable except by another psi, and even then they'd have to have a pretty hefty ESP talent to get anything usable from a psychic residue. Psi-ops allow MID to act all over the world, putting out brush fires before they become world-shaking disasters.

In return, the Collective gets back a bunch of highly-trained warriors who can then protect their people from shadow threats like the Syndicate. In addition, MID's alliance with the Collective guarantees that psis will not be targeted by the Empire in any military action, overt or otherwise; if there are psis in a potential hot zone, the Collective will be given time to quietly extract them. Sometimes that keeps MID from moving on an opportunity as fast as they would like, but the psis are such a valuable resource for them that they put up with this relatively minor annoyance. Besides, often the psis in-country are a valuable source of information.

It's a bit of a cynical deal on both sides, and some would argue that it compromises the ideals of both the Empire and the Collective. But the Collective is hoping that the alliance will allow them to avoid an all-out war with the mundanes, since (1) they have access to the intelligence resources needed to see such a war coming, and (2) they've gotten themselves in good with the most powerful nation on the planet.

Etherius thanks for the response to my questions. Though I do have another question.

This pertains to Miriam Bakhtavar, in one of the earlier chapters you mentioned she was ~120 years old and is an egotist like Fiona. Obviously being female and a very powerful psi she must have been part of at least one breeding cell during her natural life, if not more than one breeding cell considering she kept herself looking young.

What happened to her family and breeding cell(s)?

I can understand that at 120 years old she probably has outlived her breeding cell partners if not some of her children, but having more back story on Miriam would be nice, especially as she is becoming a pivotal character in the story. Of course you might have covered Miriam's backstory in one of the feedback shows that I haven't gotten to yet, if that is the case then please ignore this post.

Oh and it was a pleasent surprise to hear Pip read one of my posts during one of the January feedback shows, I got a kick out of that when I listened to it at work the other week!

Hi Waranis!

Glad you enjoyed hearing your post being read on the feedback show. I hope we pronounced your name right!

As you guessed, Miriam has indeed outlived most of her breeding cell partners. After watching a few of them die while she stayed young, it got to be too hard for everyone involved for her to stay around. When Westfall Academy opened in Metamor City, they needed a headmistress, and Miriam accepted the post and immigrated to the Empire. Her family is part of a hive located in Yesulam, the capital of Ainador. She goes down there a couple of times each year to visit -- or she did, before she was turned. Miriam also has relatives in the southern continent of Sonngefilde, but there's no one left down there whom she's close to.

Miriam has had a long and interesting life, one that pre-dates the formation of the Psi Collective. I eventually plan on telling a flashback story about her younger days, when she had an extended team-up with a certain irascible wizard...

yup you pronounced my name corectly.

Miriam and Artax teamed together. I can so see the two of them butting heads on everything!

Etherius,

a couple of questions, not exactly pertaining to the current story but to the podcast itself.

Have you thought of combining all the episodes of Making the Cut into one long podcast? I know that a lot of work went into the individual podcasts and I know I appreciate all the hard work you and the others have done. I just think it would be a really interesting to combine all the chapters, story only, not the intro/promos into one podcast. That way if someone want to listen to the whole story without having to advance through the "Story so far" and promos section they could. Also I do understand that would probably be a multi-hundred MB podcast and probably wouldn't work too well. Just thought I'd ask.

Any thoughts if you will release Making the Cut as a pdf file or even a print on demand book or even and audiobook on demand pertaining to my previous question?

Now for some questions pertaining to Making the Cut.

Obviously with 4 episodes/chapters left your not going to give us any spoilers and I don't want any, but will we be seeing cameo experiences of the Making the Cut characters appearing in the next big story in the Metamor universe?

Are there any plans for an epilogue show for Making the Cut or will the last chapter be the epilogue show?

and one last thing, when are you gonna convince the FDO aka Scott Sigler to voice a character in Metamor. I can just hear Sigler doing some off the wall character in the Metamor universe! huh come to think of it I better go post over at Sigler's forum and tell/ask him to voice a character in the Metamor universe though I doubt he'd listen :p