If you’ve been looking to add another tabletop series to your list of weekly binges, Twitch-funded Into the Mother Lands premiered Sunday October 4, and it’s all a sci-fi nerd could wish for.
Our adventure begins on Musalia in the far future, where our heroes must quickly learn how to put aside their differences in order to accomplish a vital, life-saving mission.
Created by Non-Profit I Need Diverse Games founder and activist Tanya DePass, this actual play stars DePass herself as Invicta (Hyaenole Blade Keeper), professional role-player and singer Krystina Arielle as Cyla-9-1-9 (Mansegene Bio Priest), Space and Sci-fi wiz DeejayKnight as Ikemba (Musalian Bio Priest), full-time professional role-player and Magic: The Gathering streamer Michael Sinclair II as Ilay (Misajai Light Bringer), and long-time actor, music director, and narrative designer Eugenio Vargas as the party’s Game Master/Storyteller.
1. Into the Mother Lands is a crucial all-BIPOC addition to our core list of RPG shows
Into the Mother Lands is a sci-fi odyssey spearheaded and developed by a remarkable team of veteran POC designers and professional role-players, with a cast and crew line up that is hard to top. Made up of activists who are all equal parts vocal educators and TTRPG enthusiasts, every cast and crew member stands out as deeply passionate about inclusive RPG and extremely experienced in the field.
RPG shows with an all-POC production and cast are absolutely necessary to highlight and support in TTRPG, with the majority of existing positive media focus tending towards predominantly white, male-dominated gameplay, despite the long list of fantastic non-white professional role-players that have made a name for themselves in the games community.
The sheer fact that BIPOC are lumped together under one acronym, and that the choice of an all-POC cast and crew at times generates confusion or animosity amongst fans of other RPG shows, only further strengthens the profound need to normalise and uplift such a production.
2. A crew that rivals the ages
The list of hard-working, creative, and dedicated professionals involved in this actual play speaks for itself. Lead developer B. Dave Walters is a critically acclaimed role-player and writer, and creator of WotC streaming show Darkened Wish. To many, he is also Baron Victor Temple on Vampire the Masquerade: LA by Night, and more recently, Marcid the Typhoon on Dimension 20’s Pirates of Leviathan.
Walters’ team consists of award-winning developer, game designer, artist, and university professor Sharang Biswas, independent digital and tabletop game designer, voice actor, cosplayer, streamer, and writer Gabe Hicks, actress, livestreamer, content creator, and experienced Game Master Jasmine “ThatBronzeGirl” Bhullar, and Rivals of Waterdeep cast member, artist, and D&D 5e content writer and community manager LaTia Jacquise.
Into the Mother Lands’ lead artist Vanessa “PleasantlyTwstd” B is a Charity Success Manager at Tiltify, part-time charity streamer on Twitch, freelancer, and Black and LGBTQIAP2+ activist with a passion for character creation. The show’s cover artist Will “Black Oni” Wiggins III is a Twitch partner, content creator, and artist focused on action RPG who has had his designs presented to US Congress. Stream producer Leoni, whose own TTRPG is one of Twitch’s fastest-growing streaming channels, has over a decade’s worth of experience in marketing, both in- and outside the gaming industry.
With such a long list of accomplishments, it’s hard to imagine a crew that would be better suited to the project of creating a top tier sci-fi RPG show.
Read more about the cast and crew: https://cypheroftyr.com/into-the-mother-lands-a-new-sci-fi-odyssey/
3. Female leads and intersectionality are essential to women in RPG
Not only is the cast and crew talented and experienced in equal measure, but the story set up in this actual play allows viewers to experience what it’s like to have two non-white powerful female leads absolutely ace the Bechdel test; an occurrence that is sadly still too rare in TTRPG, let alone in web series and film in general.
To name only a few examples, the show features DePass’ Invicta setting the boundaries for in how far a stranger is allowed to set foot in her quarters on day one, and has Arielle’s Cyla 9-1-9 weaponise her braids, a testament to the power of hair and what it can mean to and for women. Let’s not forget “It’s captain, Cyla 9-1-9″, an affirmation too many women are familiar with.
4. A new role-playing system coupled with a community-conscious Game Master
After years of my being primarily focused on Dungeons and Dragons, the show’s choice to build their game off the Cortex role-playing system’s framework came as a nice surprise, as the option for the show to be yet “Another D&D Show” was very much there.
Though the system will surely take some time to get used to for those who aren’t already nose deep in research, the rules seem relatively simple, and far less complex than those followed in Dungeons and Dragons.
The cast and crew have made a point to be helpful when it comes to Cortex, putting themselves in educator positions; GM Vargas takes his time as he shows the viewers on-screen how the system works, with lead developer Walters by his side to raid the Twitch chat with some much-needed insight on game mechanics – especially useful to community members who rely on imperfect auto-captions.
5. Rich world-building and lore
One of the most exciting aspects of Into the Mother Lands is the prospect of a whole new level of sci-fi world-building, set to rival any RPG show that relies on Lord of the Rings level lore.
Players can choose from a range of cultures that occupy Musalia; from direct descendants of Emperor Musa himself, to descendants of one of Musalia’s original alien cultures. They can also choose to be a mix, and play as a blend of human and alien technologies.
Our sci-fi odyssey comes complete with a pronunciation manual and world guide, published by Hicks, further intensifying the hype around Mother Lands lore. Language-lovers can only hope that a fully fledged dictionary will one day be on the cards.
6. A slower pace with higher antagonism
Those used to the fast pace of pre-recorded and edited D&D shows such as Dimension 20 might be surprised to experience an RPG with an environment that seems to rely on a slower pace, and greater levels of adversary. Although high in fantasy, role-play in Mother Lands is in many ways closer to real-life interaction and behaviour than many RPG shows. For who in their right mind would ever hop on board an aircraft with an overly excited elephant man and a bunch of antagonistic strangers without a shadow of a doubt?
With multiple pauses generated by characters who might seem lower in positive energy than your typical RPG party, the noticeable change in pace and mood can feel eerie or awkward at first; but, if you take a second to think about it, this feel perfectly befits the setting and situation the Player Characters find themselves in. Needless to say, the mood and pace of a newly launched show with only a few episodes released are also subject to change.
7. More interactivity in a tight-knit Discord & Twitch RPG community
Hopes are high when it comes to Mother Lands making an even bigger name for itself in the RPG world, and it’s clear that the community wishes for the success of this venture. In the meantime, the 900 or so regular viewers are having a hell of a time interacting with each other, and the cast and crew, on both Discord and Twitch – an experience not usually possible to this degree once a show reaches unfathomable numbers.
If you’re keen to shout out your favourite role-player in a livestream, or post some silly gifs in the Discord for fellow Motherfans (we’re still working on a name) to enjoy, I can guarantee laughter and appreciation coming for you in all directions.
8. As privy to comedy and community jokes as any other RPG
Yes there is antagonism, yes we probably have to save the entire galaxy, but we are having fun, we are enjoying positive reinforcement. The stream is already riddled with inside jokes, ranging from discussions on how precious NPC Bertrand is, to vocalising our approval of Cyla’s #BBE Big Braid Energy. Luckily, we’re early into the series and there’s time to catch up to be in-the-know. Soon, you too will be asking yourself: Is It Sunday Yet?
The next episode of Into the Mother Lands drops this Sunday on twitch.tv/cypheroftyr at 4pm PT/6pm CT/7pm ET/12am BT/1am CET.
Update 21/10/2020: An unverifiable paragraph was removed from this article in consultation with the crew.
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