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Provided Courtesy of ISC Staffer and RPG Designer Elodie Orlando Of Into The Weird Blue Yonder
Into The Weird Blue Yonder - Links:
Episode 88 - Show Notes:
[Dicey News] & Links for: Storybrewers Roleplaying, Ghostfire Gaming, Chaosium Inc, Free League Publishing, Catalyst Games Lab, Exalted Funeral, Hollow Press.
[Heavy News]: HEILUNG
[Featured Artist #1]: Häxmästaren (SWE) To Release Skuggor Del 1 Nov 2nd, 2026, via Majestic Mountain Records
[Featured Artist #2]: Could Seed (FRA) Release Latest LP Terminal on 23rd Oct 2026, via Klonosphere Records
Research Notes
Additional Links (Game Therapy Australia, ISC)
I: [Dicey News] & [Tabletop] Links:
Australian Crowdfunding & Tabletop News:
Taken from the Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG 2nd Edition Kickstarter Page (Link Below) - Credit: Storybrewers Roleplaying
(Vee Hendro & Hayley Gordon — Sydney, NSW):
Multi-award-winning Australian indie duo behind the blockbuster Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG – 2nd Edition Kickstarter, the high-energy sports drama RPG Fight With Spirit, and their acclaimed Littlebox RPGs (Saltfish & Almanacs, Decaying Orbit, Villagesong, and Our Mundane Supernatural Life).
Official Artist Site
See here for Storybrewers Roleplaying LinkTree
(contains links for Newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Bluesky & individual TTRPG orders)
Creators of the globally renowned dark-fantasy setting Grim Hollow (Grim Hollow Transformed core books), the plane-spanning Aetherial Expanse, The Dungeons of Drakkenheim, The Seeker's Guide to Enchanting Emporiums, and their co-op dark-fantasy board game Aberration: Oblivion's Embrace (currently on Gamefound/crowdfunding).
Official Site
Artist LinkTree
(Contains site link, plus Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitch, Discord server, Spotify, Email, FREE VTT modules (yep!), Kickstarter Campaigns and More.)
With key leadership based right here in Australia, Chaosium continues to anchor the local scene across Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, Rivers of London, and Age of Vikings, teaming up with Melbourne's Conquest Games Convention to run over 1,600 players across nine nonstop tables at PAX Aus.
Official Site
Chaosium Discord Server and Forums
Social Media Links (Facebook, Instagram, RSS Feed, etc)
Sweden's Free League Publishing just launched The Fractured Library expansion for Coriolis: The Great Dark alongside two major expansions for Dragonbane (Arkand and Book of Magic), while Catalyst Game Labs continues expanding solo wargaming with BattleTech: Aces.
Fria Ligan (Free League) Publishing:
www.freeleaguepublishing.com
X/Twitter
Youtube
CATALYST LINKS:
Catalyst Game Labs Facebook
Board Game Division Facebook
Roleplaying Game Division Facebook
BattleTech Facebook
Shadowrun Facebook
Leviathans Facebook
Catalyst Game Labs Instagram
X
Discord Server
YouTube
Exalted Funeral (Matt & Cristin Kelley): Named with a direct nod to funeral doom and death metal, Exalted Funeral operates like a 1990s underground metal tape-trading distro (think early Osmose, Earache, or Relapse) reincarnated as an indie RPG press.
Their crowdfunding run is impressive to say the least - partnering with Gavin Norman's Necrotic Gnome on the $1.3M+ Dolmenwood campaign and the $445,000+ Old-School Essentials: Demonic Grimoire, Luka Rejec's psychedelic heavy-metal caravan RPG The Ultraviolet Grasslands (UVG) and its sequel Our Golden Age (OGA), Mausritter: Junk City ($168K+), Land of Eem, and Monty Python's Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme.
Hollow Press (Michele Nitri — Foggia, Italy): Emerged from underground avant-garde dark comics to publish Plastiboo's cult phenomena Vermis I & II and biomechanical nightmare Godhusk: Rebirth come grimy books, written as decaying, haunted strategy guides for 1990s dark-fantasy video games that don't actually exist. Right alongside Mat Brinkman's subterranean necro-wargame Cave Evil. SPOOPY!
Exalted Funeral:
Official Website/Store
Hollow Press:
Official
Bluesky
X
II: [Heavy News] - HEILUNG (DNK) Announce Monumental Australian & New Zealand Tour For March 2027
In March 2027, Heilung will bring their extraordinary live experience back to Australia and New Zealand for a monumental seven date tour, including two very special performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House, Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Adelaide’s AEC, Brisbane's Riverstage, Auckland's Spark Arena and Perth’s Red Hill Auditorium.
Their live rituals are extraordinary spectacles. An ensemble of warriors, elaborate costumes, ancient instruments, incense, hypnotic percussion and powerful vocal performances combine to create an experience that feels less like attending a concert and more like stepping thousands of years back in time. It is theatre, music and ritual, yet it is something that exists beyond all three. It is amplified history in its truest form, live and felt with all human senses.
Since emerging in 2015, Heilung have defied musical convention. Describing their work as "amplified history", the collective draw upon the sounds, traditions and spiritual practices of early civilisations to create an extraordinary world of hypnotic percussion, haunting vocals, throat singing, ancient instruments and powerful visual ceremony. An ensemble of warriors, elaborate costumes, ritualistic movements and atmospheric soundscapes transform the stage into something that feels removed from the present day.
Every ritual begins with an ancient prayer, led by founding member Kai Uwe Faust, before the collective, including vocalist Maria Franz and producer Christopher Juul, transport their audience into a world where the boundaries between performer and spectator, past and present, awake and dreaming, begin to disappear.
As Faust explains, the philosophy behind Heilung reaches far beyond music. "With singing these primordial songs we want to give tribute to these cultures, reconnect to the beginnings and remember that we all, from East to West, from past to present, are connected through the exchange of ideas and inspiring each other."
Heilung's creative journey continues beyond the stage, including their collaboration with video game developer Ninja Theory on Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. That collaboration has given rise to Sagas, a collection of recordings created for and inspired by the game, including previously unheard material that reveals another dimension of their unmistakable sound.
Joining Heilung for all performances outside Sydney is German-American singer-songwriter
Lilith Max, whose enchanting blend of dark folklore, mythology and fantasy brings ancient tales and imagined worlds to life. Lilith Max creates her own spellbinding musical world, making her a fitting companion to Heilung's extraordinary rituals.
Following a period of hiatus, the collective returned to the studio in late 2026 to begin work on their highly anticipated fourth studio album, with new music set to herald the next chapter in their remarkable musical evolution.
With their extraordinary rituals returning to our stages, March 2027 promises to be another monumental chapter in Heilung's story. For those yet to witness one, words can only convey so much. Some things simply have to be experienced.
★★★★★ “Heilung legitimately are the most invigorating, immersive and awe-inspiring live force currently active” – Louder Sound
“An unforgettable feast for the senses. If you ever have the chance to experience Heilung live, don't miss it. There's truly nothing like it.” – Scenestr
HEILUNG - AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND 2027
Monday 1 March: Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Tuesday 2 March: Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Thursday 4 March: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Saturday 6 March: Riverstage, Brisbane
Tuesday 9 March: AEC Theatre, Adelaide
Friday 12 March: Red Hill Auditorium, Perth
Tuesday 16 March: Spark Arena, Auckland
Lilith Max not appearing
Presale Sydney Only
Presale Sydney only - Wed 21 October 12pm AEDT
Tickets on sale Sydney only - Fri 23 October 9am AEDT
**
Early bird presale all shows (excluding Sydney) Tuesday 27 October 9am local time
Tickets on sale all shows (excluding Sydney) Thursday 29 October 9am local time
www.destroyalllines.com/tours/heilung-2027
Follow Heilung:
III: Featured Artist #1 - Häxmästaren (SWE) To Release Skuggor Del 1 Nov 2nd, 2026, via Majestic Mountain Records
After several years of transformation, lineup changes and musical evolution, Gothenburg psychedelic doom outfit HÄXMÄSTAREN return with Skuggor Del 1, an ambitious new release that marks both a rebirth for the band and the first part of a larger full-length work.
Formed in 2017, Häxmästaren have spent nearly a decade forging a sound built around colossal riffs, psychedelic atmospheres and touches of blues and black metal. Their debut album Haexprocess arrived in 2018 via Suicide Fox Records, followed by Sol i Exil through Majestic Mountain Records in 2021.
The years since have brought significant change. Drummer Markus Andersson, vocalist Niklas Ekwall and founding bassist Lucas Monryd all departed for different personal reasons, with Joakim Atterfelt (Descalier) joining on drums and Simon Hansson (Psychobrew, The Snifferhill Experience) taking over vocals. With auditions for a new bassist ongoing, guitarists Fredrik Frendberg and Andreas Petersson shared bass duties during the recording.
Rather than slowing the band down, the transformation has brought new momentum and influences into Häxmästaren’s sound, resulting in material that is heavier, more energetic and even more psychedelic.
Recorded with producer Kalle Lilja (Långfinger, Toad Venom, Draconian Descent) at Welfare Studios, Skuggor Del 1 finds Häxmästaren sounding heavier, stranger and more psychedelic than ever before..
Skuggor Del 1 is conceived as the first part of a larger full-length album and the opening chapter of a new era for Häxmästaren.
Links:
https://haxmastaren.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/Haxmastaren
https://www.instagram.com/haxmastarentheband
IV: Featured Artist #2: Could Seed (FRA) Release Latest LP Terminal on 23rd Oct 2026, via Klonosphere Records
Some albums tell stories through words. Others allow the music itself to speak. On Terminal, the second full-length album from French instrumental quartet Could Seed, every melody, every dynamic shift, and every carefully crafted atmosphere becomes part of a conversation that needs no lyrics to be understood.
Drawing inspiration from the cinematic sweep of Pink Floyd and the cathartic intensity of modern post-rock, Could Seed have crafted an album that feels both timeless and refreshingly contemporary. Looking to the past without being bound by it, Terminal embraces the expressive spirit of the 1970s while forging a distinctive identity of its own. Guided solely by melody, it is an album where emotion always comes first.
Despite its title, Terminal is less concerned with endings than with everything that happens along the way.
Across its majestic compositions, the band leads listeners through an ever-changing emotional landscape where moments of quiet introspection gradually give way to soaring crescendos, crushing heaviness, and unexpected beauty. Post-rock forms the album's backbone, but Could Seed refuse to be confined by genre. Psychedelia, blues, metal, and even subtle echoes of Congolese soukous music naturally intertwine throughout the record, creating a musical journey that constantly evolves without ever losing its emotional focus.
The result is an album that feels both intimate and cinematic. One moment evokes solitude and reflection, the next bursts into overwhelming catharsis. Throughout Terminal, Could Seed remind us that instrumental music can communicate emotions with a clarity that words often cannot.
Recorded and mixed by guitarist Jordan Jupin at Studio de la Fuie before being mastered by Thibault Chaumont at Deviant Lab, Terminal captures the band's dynamic interplay with warmth, depth, and remarkable clarity. The artwork by Ana Mady Sun and photography by Régine Cadillac further complement the album's enthralling atmosphere.
Fans of Elder, Caspian, Russian Circles, and God Is An Astronaut will find much to admire here, though Could Seed never simply echo their influences. Instead, they forge a distinctive identity built upon expressive songwriting, organic performances, and a profound understanding of emotional storytelling.
Line-up:
Dimitri Even – Guitar
Jordan Jupin – Guitar
Thomas Magloire – Bass
Élie Chéron – Drums
Links:
https://linktr.ee/couldseed
http://www.klonosphere.com
https://www.facebook.com/KLONOSPHEREPR
V: Episode 88 - Research Notes/References:
Sharman & Dingle (2015), University of Queensland (Frontiers in Human Neuroscience):
Tested extreme metal fans after an anger-induction protocol and proved that extreme music does not cause anger or hostility. Instead, it regulates physiological arousal just as effectively as silence, while significantly boosting inspiration and positive affect.
Prof. Bill Thompson, Sunantha Subramaniyan & Dr. Kirk Olsen (2019 / 2022), Macquarie University (Current Psychology, 2022): Using a neuroscientific binocular rivalry task while participants listened to Swedish death-metal supergroup Bloodbath's ‘Eaten’ (who are headlining Melbourne Dethfest 2027!), Macquarie researchers proved that fans of violently themed art are zero percent desensitized to real-world violence. Instead, they retain full empathy while experiencing aesthetic catharsis, joy, and psychological safety.
Mark Ashcraft and Elizabeth Kirk proved that Maths-Anxiety functions as a dual-task burden on working memory. When a player or GM feels watched at the table ("Everyone is waiting for me to add up my attack roll + Bless + flanking + power attack"), the amygdala triggers intrusive self-evaluative worry. That worry literally consumes the prefrontal cortex's phonological loop and central executive (Sweller, 1988), starving the brain of the exact scratchpad space needed to add 14 + 3 - 2 + 4!
(Dehaene, 2003 Triple-Code Model & Butterworth et al., 2011):
Stanislas Dehaene's Triple-Code Model of Number Processing: Neuroimaging shows our brains process mathematical concepts across three anatomically distinct circuits:
1. The Verbal Code (left perisylvian language areas, i.e. memorized rote tables like 8 × 7 = 56).
2. The Visual Arabic Numeral Code (occipito-temporal regions, a.k.a. reading and carrying string digits).
3. The Analog Magnitude & Visuospatial Code (bilateral parietal / spatial networks: estimating proportions, spatial geometry on a battlemap, risk/reward intuition, and resource trade-offs).
Developmental dyscalculia specifically impairs rapid symbolic number manipulation in the Intraparietal Sulcus (IPS) (Piazza et al., 2004; Butterworth et al., 2011) or verbal rote retrieval. It doesn’t impair tactical reasoning, spatial flanking geometry, probabilistic intuition, or narrative systems design … the very aspects that form a huge part of what constitutes tabletop gaming!
fMRI research by Tschentscher et al. proves that physical finger/hand manipulation activates sensorimotor number representations directly. In slightly less technical terms - moving physical plastic pegs on a Zombicide dashboard, stepping down a physical Resource Die (d12 -> d10 -> d8), or sliding meeples, chits etc, offloads state-tracking from our volatile verbal memory onto physical touch.
Ramani & Siegler (2008 / 2011, Child Development) (Follow-up Study):
Found that children from low-income backgrounds who played physical linear number board games for just four 15-minute sessions (1 hour total!) showed dramatic, lasting improvements in numerical magnitude comparison, number-line estimation, counting, and numeral identification—still present 9 weeks later! Why? Because physically moving a token across numbered spaces links spatial, kinesthetic, auditory, and visual cues at the exact same moment.
Gasteiger & Moeller (2021) & Vogt et al. (2018):
Demonstrated that conventional board games and dice games foster mathematical competencies and significantly reduce math anxiety because numbers are embedded in intrinsic play motivation rather than high-stakes rote testing.