The World Below The War in the Heavens
Michael Pryor
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An exploration of a world of magic and adventure, stretched out beneath the eternal and ongoing battle in the heavens between gods and demons.
Available episodes
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Oct 13, 2023
Episode 30: Dimon II the Peaceful Monarch
Peaceful he may have been, but the reign of King Dimon III had some of the most remarkable events in the history of the World Below the War in the Heavens, including the extraordinary Tumbling Mania and the first formal magical duel ever recorded.
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Sep 30, 2023
Episode 29: Dimon II the Pious King
Dimon II wasn't always pious. His conversion is one of the more remarkable stories in the World Below the War in the Heavens.
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Sep 16, 2023
Episode 28: Dimon I the Restoration King
Dimon I brings the Nightmare Years to an end by restoring the rightful line to the throne of Anaquist. He was one of the greatest monarchs in a dynasty of extraordinary rulers.
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Sep 2, 2023
Episode 27: Queen Keska the Would-be Conqueror
With the resources of the richest, most powerful realm in the World Below the War in the Heavens at her disposal, Queen Keska embarks on a campaign to bring the whole continent under heel. A legendary warrior with magical armour, does she succeed?
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Aug 19, 2023
Episode 26: The Demon Temple
In the vast wilderness, a Demon Temple arises devoted to worshipping the fanatical foes of the gods in the heavens above. The horror is unbounded.
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Aug 5, 2023
Episode 25: Enna the Inhuman
What do you do when you have absolute power over a realm? Devote it to self-aggrandisement, of course! Learn about Queen Enna's program of monuments dedicated to herself!
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Jul 22, 2023
Episode 24: Yephen the Bloody
The Nightmare Years continued when Yephen succeeded his brother Zalman. His cruelty was less severe, more whimsical but appalling nevertheless.
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Jul 8, 2023
Episode 23: Zalman the Vicious
Son of Grippina the Cruel, King Zalman carried on the family tradition for bloodymindedness.
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Jun 24, 2023
Episode 22: Grippina the Cruel
Usurper, dynasty disrupter, wrathful seeker of vengeance, Grippina was not to be trifled with and became queen thanks to the fury of her single-mindedness, the first monarch of the Nightmare Years.
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Jun 10, 2023
Episode 21: The War in the Heavens
What exactly is the War in the Heavens? A timely explainer.
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May 15, 2023
Season 3 Preview
What's coming up in Season 3? Here's a preview: more extraordinary tales of magic, mystery and misadventure, more sensational stories of secrets, quests and romances, more insights into cultures, history and magic!
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Sep 13, 2022
Episode 20: Halden The Sleepwalker
Halden I earned his unflattering nickname because of the way he walked into disaster and steered Anaquist into a nightmare, if you can have a sleepwalking steersman/helmsman/at the wheel. One thing is clear, though – it’s the end of the Foundation Era of Anaquist, however you put it.
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Aug 30, 2022
Episode 19: Queen Iona I and the Tower to the Heavens!
Queen Iona's ambitions were, paradoxically, both heavenly and firmly of the world, aiming to bridge the two. Misguided, but visionary, she was doomed to failure - and what a spectacular failure it was.
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Aug 16, 2022
Episode 18: Sendia II, ’the Kin Reaver’
Absolute power does some people’s heads in, and when it goes hand in hand with brooding resentment and the harbouring of grudges, it’s a nasty combination, but that’s the way things unfold in this period of Anaquistian history, so get ready.
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Aug 2, 2022
Episode 17: Hoch, the Boy King.
Definitely a youthful monarch, his reign was marred by the legendary Lessgar Affair - a sobering story of loyalty, mistrust and petty ambition gone badly, badly wrong.
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Jul 19, 2022
Episode 16: Queen Treesten I, ’the Poisoner’!
With a cognomen like that, you can guess that we're in for a wild ride this episode. Short story: if she ever offered you a plate of snacks, it was best to decline politely.
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Jul 5, 2022
Episode 15: Jallox, the Land of Water, Wind and War!
Jallox is a large island separated from the mainland continent by a two hundred mile stretch of stormy waters. Jalloxians have always considered themselves apart from the rest of the World Below the War in the Heavens, separate and better – more hardy, more independent, more resourceful, more good looking and, pointedly, braver than mainlanders.
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Jun 21, 2022
Episode 14: Ascot I, The Lady With the Mask
Cunning, manipulative, scheming and ambitious, Queen Ascot I was the epitome of the Anaquist dynamic, with a flair for the dramatic. She had to deal with a slew of Pretenders to the throne, too, and she did it in her own, inimitable way.
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Jun 7, 2022
Episode 13: Blemin the Lucky
King Blemin lived fast, died young and was buried in a royal mausoleum. No regrets.
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May 24, 2022
Episode 12: Varphina I and The Time of the Youthful Monarchs
Queen Varphina I didn’t suffer fools gladly, and she suffered villains even less. She died wrestling a giant killer boar, which should tell you something about her.
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May 10, 2022
Episode 11, Prescon the Forgettable
Prescon: son of King Sayn I, the sixth monarch of Anaquist is the most overlooked of the early Anaquistian monarchs, but I've found an intriguing side of this enigmatic king.
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Apr 16, 2022
Season 2 Preview
A look ahead at the upcoming second season of The World Below the War in the Heavens podcast. More magic! More intrigue! More fascinating characters! And, perhaps, a special guest or two ... Coming soon!
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Nov 14, 2021
Episode 10 King Sayn‘s Treasure
King Sayn of Anaquist amassed a huge treasure in his lifetime but when his special vault was opened, it had all disappeared. What happened to the hoard to end all hoards?
This is a very special episode with a very special guest - Dr David Threshton, Head of Anaquist Studies at Hallmark University, the expert we need to get to the bottom of this mystery for the ages.
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Oct 22, 2021
Episode 9 Animal Life in All Its Glory
Here, in the vast expanses of the World Below the War in the Heavens roam a multitude of species, a panoply of life, a cornucopia of animals great and small in a dizzying display of the wonders of life itself, writ large and writ small. Come and explore them with me.
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Oct 9, 2021
Episode 8 Queen Sendia 1, Magic and Tragedy
Sendia 1 of Anaquist became obsessed with magic and her life was tragically cut short by a tragedy that is fascinating in its unfolding. And who was the mysterious strangers who worked her way into becoming Sendia's most trusted adviser, much to the disquiet of those around her, and who may have played a major role in the young monarch's demise?
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Sep 24, 2021
Episode 7 King Omir The Reluctant Warrior
Omir: warrior, thinker, a man of both action and reflection, a monarch who never thought of himself as ruler of a land but more of a protector of its people. Plus, the Autumn Plot!
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Sep 9, 2021
Episode 6, Kenlill I The Builder Queen
How do you succeed the most famous, most extraordinary and most revered ruler in the history of Anaquist, the home of the Dead God? Kenlill Anaquist might be the most underrated ruler in the history of the World Below the War in the Heavens even though she took the throne through a combination of cunning, ruthlessness, far-sightedness and clever planning, while avoiding assassination attempts from her own kin. She consolidated Anaquist's place as the pre-eminent realm in the World Below the War in the Heavens and filled remarkable shoes in a remarkable way.
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Aug 20, 2021
Episode 5 Magic in the World Below the War in the Heavens
What is magic in The World Below the War in the Heavens? How does it work? Where does it come from? And what about the question that’s on everyone’s lips: how can I get me a piece of it?
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Aug 2, 2021
Episode 4, UCANTHA 1, FOUNDER OF ANAQUIST Part 2
The second half of two episodes exploring the life of the legendary founder of Anaquist, Ucantha Anaquist herself. After uncovering the extraordinary riches of the Heavenfall, in short time Ucantha Anaquist displays her abilities as a military leader, an architect, an engineer, a logistician and a people manager beyond compare, surrounding herself with some remarkably talented supporters. No wonder they made her queen.
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Jul 14, 2021
Episode 3, UCANTHA 1, FOUNDER OF ANAQUIST Part 1
UCANTHA 1, FOUNDER OF ANAQUIST
Part One – The Discovery of the Dead God and the Founding of Anaquist
Ucantha Anaquist. Buccaneer, adventurer, entrepreneur, leader, military genius, architect nonpareil, visionary, exploiter, arch-manipulator and founder of the richest, most powerful realm in the entire World Below the War in the Heavens. She’s the stuff of a thousand stories, countless ballads, quite a few sculptures and even an opera or two. Can we separate the woman from the legend? Or is it worth bothering since the legends are so juicy, so wildly romantic that they don’t just make the heart beat a little faster, you might just need to keep a fan or two handy, in case of imminent swooning.
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Jun 30, 2021
Episode 2, Anaquist, the Dead God’s Realm
Episode 2 focusses the ancient realm of Anaquist as an introduction to the World Below the War in the Heavens, mostly because it’s irresistible. Nearly two thousand years old and ruled by the same family – more or less – for all that time, it has a history of strife, betrayals, false alliances, glorious triumphs, dazzling artistic achievements, humane advances, dark treachery, petty personal vendettas and extraordinary magical phenomena, all supported, encouraged and enabled by the vast riches that have come from the most prodigious Heavenfall in the history of the World Below.
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Jun 15, 2021
Episode 1, An Overview of The World Below the War in the Heavens
Episode 1 is the overview. What is this war in the heavens and what exactly are Heavenfalls? How does magic work in this strange and exotic land? What about the geography, the landscape, the complex and challenging politics of the many realms? All this and more!
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May 27, 2021
The World Below the War in the Heavens Preview
Introducing the World Below the War in the Heavens podcast, an exploration of a world of magic and adventure, betrayals and alliances, forlorn hopes and unexpected triumphs.
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