Horace is preparing to go stump for his re-election while his makeshift campaign team hits the trail to figure out how to keep him in office.  Meanwhile, the mysterious, tormented figure has managed to slip from his captor's bond, though the chase to recapture him is definitely on.  When all is said and done, these two seemingly disconnected plotlines will meet head-on.  Who has been running and why?  And will their return hurt or help Horace's plans to remain Sheriff of Tumbleson County?  Listen and find out!

Support Your Local, Crooked Sheriff - Part Three

Suraj Berry

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Player Profile - Suraj Berry

Bobby-Jack isn't exactly Bobby-Jack anymore, much to the consternation of Horace, Zenobia and Sam.  To make matters worse, his new... alter-ego... isn't exactly going out of its way to REDUCE the crazy in the county.  The murders of Eura and Wisteria Coryell are apparently tied to a much bigger prophecy - a prophecy that's still in the making unfortunately.  And, if that wasn't enough, Wee Humphrey has found himself undergoing a life-changing scenario of his own; one that will put him a position far greater than that of short-order cook.  Will the group heed the warnings of the mysterious soul inside the simpleton?  Will Humphrey give into his greater purpose?  And what will happen to Bobby-Jack McGee?  These questions MIGHT be answered in the finale of this session!

The Boy Ain't Right - Part Two

While onboard the Hellion for "Snake Hands" Jimmy Ferguson's bachelor party, Sam, Zenobia, and Bobby-Jack had started out the evening enjoying a little gambling, drinking, and debauchery.  Things appeared to turn quickly south, however, when Cam Doolittle sat down at a strange card game, at the urging of Bobby-Jack, and began to lose his money... mostly because of Bobby's bad gambling advice.  Now, as the party rolls on, our party is about to find out that money is the least of what Cam has lost and that nothing aboard the Hellion is what it seems.

Of Vice and Men - Part Two

Little Maxine Harmon's soul is still trapped inside a corn-cob doll, a fate crueler than death placed upon her by her own family.  Zenobia, Sam, and Humphrey have been trying to use the Harmon Family Bible's secrets to help free Maxine, but only have found more questions than answers out in the sacrificial forest beyond Youngtown.  Returning to the book store has only made things worse as the trio has managed to somehow get transported into Zenobia's creepy dollhouse.  Now it's up to the party to save Maxine, and themselves, and the discovery of what's REALLY inside the tiny wooden house will reveal something about one Tumblesonian's past and forever alter the future.

When Memory Lane is a Dead End

Sam and Wee Humphrey are ready to rumble with Shango, the god of storms.  Joey is trying to navigate a series of sticky situations out at Fort Knox.  Everything is about to come to a head... and someone is going to lose theirs.

Under the Weather - Part Three

Horace has put together his campaign team and it's really gone to the dogs.  Literally.  As Sheriff Ferguson prepares to go stumpin' for re-election, though, someone... or something... is trying to escape from a hellish nightmare, held captive presumably somewhere in the county by assailants unknown.  What more about the mystery shall be uncovered?  Who (or what) is trying to break free?  And what will happen if it does?  Tune in and find out!

Support Your Local, Crooked Sheriff - Part Two

It's been an eventful month in and out of Tumbleson County.  Horace, Zenobia, and Simon appeared to have gotten their man and - more importantly - their urn away from Sam Bowen after a showdown in Washington.  Sam and Wee Humphrey had won a battle of thier own - defeating Shango, the god of Storms - and claiming Tumbleson as their spoils.  With everyone back in Youngtown, however, they've found anything but a victory celebration.  Horace Ferguson has found himself unwittingly walking into the fight of his life, and we aren't talking about the one with his diabetes.

Support Your Local, Crooked Sheriff - Part One

When the citizens of Youngtown ventured into the lost city of Questing, Mississippi, little did they know what they'd find.  Now, a power struggle has ensued as the Tumblesonians' baser instincts have overridden their gentile Southern natures as a powerful sword, hidden away for decades and with good reason, now calls out to them.  The fate of Tumbleson County hangs precariously in the balance as to who ends up wielding it.  The question is - who will reign and who will get cut down in the process?  The finale episode of the second season of Troublesome Times in Tumbleson County™ is here and, when it ends, life in Not-Mississippi will never be the same.

Questin' in Questing - Part Two [Season 2 Finale]

We're taking a week off to recover from Chupacabracon V in Austin and to prepare for the start of an entirely new series here at Minionworks - "On Top of Mount Shasta".  We'll be back next week with an all-new Tumbleson County and more details!

A Quick Note from Nate

Welcome to Tumbleson County.  God's country.  The land of milk and honey.  A place full of monsters, demons, and pure evil... and that's just the citizens.  From the folks that brought you "The Misadventures of Max's Minions", "Troublesome Times" is a weekly podcast/campaign run using the Monster of the Week RPG system from Evil Hat Productions and set in 1933 Not-Mississippi as Prohibition is coming to an end and ominous forces are circling the poor county like vultures readying for a meal.  While the county's most powerful families fight amongst each other to secure their place at the table in the coming armageddon, a brave (and questionably intelligent) group of men and women and... animal... have banded together to try save their fellow Tumblesonians or, at the very least, themselves.

Warning: due to audio quality, I’d strongly recommend the use of headphones.
I freaking love everything about this podcast so much( The keeper’s main voice is a bit... ... ... devoid of sex appeal?, or something like that?)
A lotta gold in this series.

Well, you can feel the ooze of a great game seeping out of this podcast

The heroes of Tumbleson County have been keeping me company for a while now, and I am glad I was introduced.  This quirky, twisted tale of doomed misfits starts off a bit slow, but soon roped me in with its cast of engaging characters and it’s quaint mix of Southern decadence and homeliness.  It serves up moments of true horror and poignancy, but never without a heaping helping of irreverent humor and fun on the side.   So put on your best Southern accent, grab a slice of pie, and check out this unique actual play podcast.

Gorious Fun

Troublesome Times in Tumbleson County

As if trying to piece together what has happened to Cam Doolittle - and, more importantly, how to save him - Sam and Zenobia had their hands full.  Apparently, the universe thought they could deal with just a little more.  Each of Tumbleson County's strongest women are about to have their mettle put to the test.  Sam has had a ton dropped at her metaphorical doorstep - a premonition of bad things to come.  Zenobia's doorstep is occupied more in the physical sense - Baphomet has come callin' and he's brought his A-game with him.  How will the fiercesome females handle themselves and what does Sam's premonition mean for the future of Tumbleson County and its citizens?  The most troublesome of times lie ahead for Tumbleson County as we march closer to the end... of the podcast series.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part Two

The emaciated and badly-broken body of Cam Doolittle has washed up on the banks of the Ol' Muddy, discovered by the Plunkett Brothers on the same day that Horace Ferguson was prepared to start his re-election campaign.  Now, all attention turns to Zenobia, charged with trying to resusciate Cam, and Samantha who still has no idea.  At least... not yet.  What has happened to Sam's betrothed?  Who is responsible?  And what kind of fury will she unleash once she figures it all out?  There's more than one reunion on the horizon and Sam won't be the only one to come across someone from their past.  There are plenty of questions in Youngtown - the answers lie within this play session.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part One

Sam has had a premonition - forces are conspiring together to unseat Good King Humphrey from his throne.  However, before any crusade can band together to face the oncoming onslaught, its king needs to be armed with a worthy weapon to lead the charge into battle.  Humphrey has headed up river to the failing lumbertown of Mockingbird to meet with an old friend of Doc Eden who had been commissioned to fashion a new prosthetic arm.  However, Humphrey will learn that this worker of metal and leather is far more than just a simple acquaintance, and a new arm is the least of what he'll come away with when all is said and done.  And, once the valiant dog-who-would-be-king joins the fray on the edge of Youngtown's infamous Witches' Runway, even more revelations shall be had.  There's a long night ahead for Sam, Humphrey, Zenobia, and Horace amongst the old pine trees of Tumbleson County, and it all leads up to what could be the end of all things...

Into the Pines - Part One

Sam, Zenobia, Humphrey and Horace have found themselves in an ambush at the Witches' Runway.  All the pieces are starting to come together as the powers that remain in Tumbleson County push and shove to survive the coming Armageddon.  As the quartet will soon find out, though, one family is pushing harder than the rest.  The stakes are about to become astronomical, nearly quite literally, as a sinister hand has begun to gain a firm grasp around the future of Tumbleson and, perhaps, all of eternity.  Can our fearsome foursome disrupt things long enough to come up with a game plan of their own or, at least, foil someone else's?  What role will each of our surviving anti-heroes play in the events to come?  And what else is at stake in the election for Tumbleson County Sheriff besides the right to protect and be served pie?  After this episode, there is just one final play session remaining and a handful of episodes left to seal the fate of Youngtown, Mississippi and all that surrounds her.  Who lives?  Who dies?  Who falls somewhere in between?  Listen in carefully and prepare yourself for the end times!

Into the Pines - Part Two

You've heard one side of the story...  While Zenobia, Simon, and Horace headed off with Deputy Director Boudreaux to track down Samuel Bowen in Washington, D.C., Sam, Humphrey, and Joey were left behind to keep things around Youngtown in order.  It should come as no surprise that order lasted all of about six seconds.  Now, the storm that's been brewing in Jug's Corner is ready to unleash itself on Tumbleson, and that's not the only thing looking to claim a piece of the county.  Who else wants to lay claim to Wee Humphrey's kingdom?  Listen and find out!

Under the Weather - Part One

Jack McGee

The folks of Tumbleson County have been devastated. Youngtown's golden heart - Bobby-Jack McGee - is dead. The citizens of the county have come together to pay their final respects and say their last good-byes. But, amidst all the mourning and grieving, the chess game over control of Tumbleson continues.  The claim to the Harmon Family Estate still lies open - the cursed Sword of Questing that Joseph Stufkosky needs to secure the urn of the Harmon family patriarch has been recovered. However, its whereabouts in the days since Bobby-Jack's death and the return from Questing are unknown.  Everyone has a stake in what happens next. Who will survive and who will join Bobby-Jack in the great beyond? The series of events that will lead to Tumbleson County's ultimate fate are about to be set in motion.

The Funeral of Bobby-Jack McGee - Part One [Season 3 Premiere]

Just when poor Joey Stufkovsky thought he had seen just about all the weirdness he could take, Revenue Agent Simon Grey has returned to town and upped the ante.  It seems the Yankee's inheritance has put him in the crosshairs of more than just his disgruntled uncle, Hickory.  Now with the elder Harmon who-knows-where in Louisiana plotting his revenge and a missing family urn in the half-clutches of a dead man, it looks like Joey will have to secure himself one more strange bedfellow to track everything down.  Will he find what he needs to claim the Harmon estate, or whill end up a pile of ashes himself?

Urn-ing Your Keep - Part One

The Lonely Time - a mysterious time when some of Tumbleson County's children are led off into the woods and only some of them return - is just about to dawn on Youngtown once more.  Five children are about to find themselves face to face with the awful truth behind exactly what happens.  Join Aaron, Nate, Larissa, Suraj, Carol, and Michael for a special character creation session to kick off this story arc!

Kids are the Damnedest Things - Part One

Though nerves around Tumbleson County are still a bit frayed, there has been some closure for some and good news for others as most of those missing in the aftermath of the Ferguson-Doolittle wedding have been found - dead or alive.  Unfortunately, there are still three Tumblesonians unaccounted for: Bobby-Jack McGee, his mule, Sweetie, and, surprisingly, Jimmy Ferguson, the groom-now-declared-missing.  Missing persons, however, are about to be the least of Youngtown's problems.

Of Mules and Mommas - Part One

Troublesome Times will return in a few weeks with an all-new episode to kick off the next chapter in the Tumbleson saga.  For now, though, enjoy another short compilation of things that were left on the cutting room floor... and probably should have stayed there.

Return to the Outhouse Floor

While the rest of the town has been tied up, verging on literally, across the Old Man River in the Devil's Backyard, Horace Ferguson and Simon Grey have been summoned to Parcell State Farm up in Nevermind at the behest of Warden Parcell.  If only they had only turned on the radio before leaving Youngtown.  What they'll discover upon arrival ranges from unexpected to unexplainable to just plain unholy.  And, when all is said and done, a whole lot of loose ends are going to get tied up.  The question is, will the Sheriff and Revenue Agent get unraveled beforehand?  Strap in for the ride up to northern Tumbleson County, folks - this episode is going to be a real hoot.

Parcell Prison Blues - Part One

Zenobia, Sam, and Bobby-Jack were up to their eyeballs in trouble - an attempt to subdue Crazy Jane Marmalade with a hex just long enough to keep her from interfering in the wedding of "Snake Hands" Jimmy Ferguson and Anabelle Doolittle back in Youngtown had gone horribly awry.  Between the burlesque dancer getting the jump on our heroines and Bobby-Jack getting mixed up in bar fight with the Boudreaux Brothers in the Hoochie Coochie Cabaret, they had all gotten busted up pretty bad.  Luckily, Sam's quick thinking had gotten Zenobia and her gunshot wounds to a local doctor.  The question is - just how flexible is the mysterious Dr. Jericho when it comes to the Hippocratic Oath?

Bedpans and Boomsticks

Zenobia had been recruited to prevent the "Battiste's Beast of Burlesque", Crazy Jane Marmalade from coming across the river and ruining the upcoming wedding between her ex-lover "Snake Hands" Jimmy Ferguson and Annabelle Doolittle, an extended member of the wealthy Gold family. But upon crossing the Old Man River to get to Jubilation, Miss Albreicht and her accomplices, Sam and Bobby-Jack, spied something odd in the depths of the murky water below them.  Is it an immediate threat or a sign of what awaits them in the Devil's Backyard?

Way Down Yonder at the Hoochie-Coochie

Youngtown has been shaken to its core.  First, the barbershop burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances and killed the haircutting Harmon brothers.  Next, a daring night-time bank robbery left a deputy dead and the life savings of many of the townsfolk stolen.  Then, a young boy was kidnapped and held hostage during a... well... a chariot chase.  The Heron Gang of Murph County, Not-Mississippi may have been ultimately taken care of by our heroes, but the wake of destruction runs both wide and deep, most of it through the center of town.  However, the announcement of a wedding could be just the thing Tumbleson County needs to take its mind off all the tragedy of the past two weeks.  "Could be" is the operative phrase there...

Go Do That Juju That You Do So Well

Bobby-Jack McGee has done gone and got himself in a heap of trouble.  While trying to save a young boy from the clutches of one the bank-robbing Heron Brothers, Bobby-Jack got both him and his mule, Sweetie, twisted up (literally) in something otherworldly and evil.  Can Zenobia, Sam, Horace, and Humphrey reach poor, simple Bobby-Jack before it's too late to save him?  And, assuming they do, what else awaits them in the forests of northern Tumbleson County?

Heron Today, Gone Tomorrow

Bobby-Jack, Wee Humphrey, Zenobia, and Samantha were all drawn to the Harmon Brothers Barber Shop after Miss Wesson's third-eye sensed something awful going on behind the blue-and-red-striped barber pole.  The quartet staked the place out after hours and, though signals were crossed, it was apparent that all was not what it seemed.  The truth, however, is about to be revealed and, when it does, the Tumblesonians are in for a close shave with evil.

Come to Momma

A lot has happened to our... heroes... and just when it appears that everything was getting wrapped up with a nice little bow on top, someone had to go ahead and burn down the Harmon Brothers Barber Shop.  And by "someone", we'll let you guess as to who's holding the match.  But before you get the impression that folks around Tumbleson are just all about the arson, there's a perfectly good reason why - you just need to keep your third eye peeled to see it.

Shave and a Haircut, Too Late

In the aftermath of Baird Taggert's untimely demise, things around Tumbleson County have gone back to... well... what passes for normal in Not-Mississippi anyway.  In between baseball, a bank holiday, and business deals, the biggest story around Youngtown is the recent capture of serial killer Otis Lee, also known as the Rambler - but it's not his capture that's making news.  Instead, it's the peculiar lack of action against Mr. Lee, who is as guilty as they come, that has the town in a tizzy.  Rumor has it that the investigation has gone awry and no one involved, county, state, or federal, wants to take the blame or point a finger.  Fortunately, however, Tumbleson's two "top" law enforcement agents have stepped into help... and stepped into a whole heap of trouble in the process.

Blood's Thinner than Water in the Devil's Backyard

The citizens of Youngtown have banded together to battle the evil water elemental that killed poor Baird Taggart in his bathtub as he scrubbed away the weekly grime from between his toes.  Agent Grey's methodology, however - drinking in said water elemental - does rather leave something to be desired.  Can the group keep Simon from drowning in his own poor judgment and, if so, find out exactly what happened to Baird back at the Taggart homestead?  The answer may just be staring back at you.

Through the Lookin' Glass

The best philosophy podcast episodes. Asking questions about how to live a better life, what it means to be and do good, to the idea of God. This topic includes episodes that bring about important questions that everyone should be asking themselves. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes on Practical Philosophy & How To Live

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1 quote, 3 ideas & 1 question from a carefully curated podcast episode.
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Want a 3rd insight and episode every week? Email me at curation@owltail.com.