Critical Role, which is the name of the show and the company that produces it, has proven to be one of the most interesting voices in the new media landscape. The plucky littleD&Dshow has a fandom that rivals that of some massive entertainment empires. Last year, Critical Role’s production company, Metapigeon, picked up a charming space-western series calledMidst, remastered it, and unleashed it upon eager critters worldwide. Today, Critical Role announcesMidst’s first spin-off,Moonward.
One of the delightful aspects of an actual play series is its room for experimentation.Shows likeCritical Rolehave a recognizable format, which leaves plenty of options to deliver new surprises. When Critical Role partnered with Third Person, the multimedia studio behind podcasts likeMidst, they opened the door to unique creative talent that can consistently spice up the medium. It’s exciting to see some of the biggest names in the genre guaranteeing its consistent artistic growth.
What isMoonward: A Midst Roleplaying Story?
Moonward: A Midst Roleplaying Storyis the first spin-off of the well-receivedMidstseries. The miniseries will take place over four parts, the first of which will premiere on Wednesday, August 7th. The first teaser for the series dropped onMidst’s Twitter account on July 11th. The full trailer is posted above.Moonwardwill combine elements of live black box theater with the classicactual play format tocreate an immersive experience. The four players will portray a ragtag bunch of explorers on a quest to discover the secrets of Midst’s destroyed moon. Fans may recall the original series ofMidsttaking place with the falling moon as a key background detail. The trailer depicts a striking visual atmosphere, with live music providing a powerful soundtrack. The trailer is light on story details, but it does provide a brief glimpse into the players and their characters.
Who is playing inMoonward: A Midst Roleplaying Story?
Third Person’s own Xen will beMoonward’s Guide Narrator. Xen is one of the formerly anonymous players and narrators in the originalMidstseries. Like that show,Moonwardis a collaborative narrative that relies almost entirely on the improvisational stylings of its players. Also, as inMidst, Xen provides live music on their electric guitar. As the central Guide Narrator, Xen will play the majority of the characters in the series, leaving a few key players to provide the rest.Moonward’s cast includes:
Moonwardwill premiere on August 7th at 7 PM Pacific Time. Each successive episode will drop on Wednesday nights. Fans can find the series onCritical Role’s YouTubeand Twitch channels, Midst’s YouTube channel, or in podcast form from all great podcatchers. AsCritical Rolecontinues to branch out into exciting new mediums, shows likeMoonwardcan continue to impress.
