Critical Role Unveils Trailer for New Miniseries Moonward

Critical Role just launched the trailer for Moonward, an experimental actual play miniseries expanding the cosmos of Midst. Cast members Liam O’Brien and Marisha Ray will join Third Person, the creative team behind the sci-fantasy podcast, and storytellers Sara Wile and Matt Roen in a four-part story led by Guide Narrator Xen.

In March 2023, the narrative podcast Midst made a splash as Critical Role’s first outside acquisition, introducing audiences to Third Person’s original storytelling sensibilities and sprawling space saga. The remastered versions of Midst‘s first two seasons joined the Critical Role programming roster, with a third and final season making its way to fans new and old this year. However, Critical Role and Third Person signaled that Midst‘s story would continue Un-folding in Moonward, teasing this tabletop rendition of the cosmos during Season 3’s roundtable discussion.

Much like Midst‘s own moon, the full-length trailer for Moonward has now officially dropped and given audiences an enticing sneak peek into the August miniseries from Critical Role. Ray, O’Brien, Wile, and Roen will portray “a small squad of unlikely chums” on a mission to recover the remains of Midst‘s aforementioned fallen moon. Fans will meet new player characters Vesta Sterling, Walden Orlock, Fiona Rue, and Dusty Rivers, though the trailer indicated that some familiar faces, such as Goe’s Garag’s eponymous proprietor, may be aiding the moon-bound adventurers. As with Candela Obscura, Moonward‘s trailer showcased an immersive set, complete with character-inspired costumes.

Xen described Moonward as a return to form for their no longer anonymous troupe, explaining that “Midst itself was born from Third Person’s shared love of tabletop gaming”. Though Moonward‘s trailer includes maps, character sheets, and other standard roleplaying ephemera, it promises a unique and dice-less actual play experience befitting Midst‘s one-of-a-kind narrative voice. “The series offers a unique, front-row seat to how Third Person crafts their audio dramas, combining live audio, music, and lighting effects to create a dynamic multimedia experience,” Critical Role said of the forthcoming Moonward experience. “Viewers will be transported to a black box theater setting where each player contributes to the unfolding narrative in real-time, providing a front-row seat to an innovative storytelling journey.”

Moonward will follow in the footsteps of its podcast predecessor by airing on Critical Role‘s Twitch and YouTube channels on Wednesdays, starting with its August 7 debut at 7 p.m. PT. The miniseries will likewise be available on Midst‘s YouTube channel and Critical Role‘s streaming service Beacon, where subscribers can access the first two episodes of Moonward on its premiere date and future episodes two weeks in advance.

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