Hallowed Haven Studios to premier new AP Jan. 31

Hallowed Haven Studios invites listeners to join them on Jan. 31 for “Opus de Requiem,” a new 7th Sea actual-play following five strangers who come together with simple tasks in a world where nothing is simple.

“Opus de Requiem” opens in Charouse, the capital of one of 7th Sea’s nations, just before L’Empereur’s birthday week celebrations. From the depths beneath the capital to the heights of Montaigne society, a group of heroes are drawn together and into the web of royal intrigue.

“I just love the world of Théah — the setting of 7th Sea — and have for many years, but have struggled to find the right group of players to run it for,” said Bloodied Porcelain, Hallowed Haven Studios CEO/owner and “Opus de Requiem” storyteller. “HHS has a large community of dedicated, passionate players who love deep lore and the kind of dramatic storytelling Théah was designed to accommodate, so I knew I had to run it here.”

Hallowed Haven Studios is an actual-play streaming studio specializing in narrative and character-focused content. It has a large, diverse community, with members from around the world, and is woman-owned, pro-LGBTQ+, pro-POC and unapologetically progressive.

Since its founding in June 2022, HHS has produced more than 25 actual-plays utilizing a wide variety of systems, from various World of Darkness titles to Starfinder to Mutants & Masterminds.

“Opus de Requiem” is the studio’s inaugural 7th Sea (first edition) actual-play.

The world of 7th Sea is a fantasy spin on the Renaissance, with fictional nations inspired by European countries such as France, England, Italy, Germany and Spain. There is sorcery; religious strife; a war between two nations while another recovers from the ravages of a conflict that decimated its economy; and ancient ruins and artifacts of unknown origin and power.

“While it certainly can be a setting for high-adventure swashbuckling and pirate shenanigans, it’s also choc-a-block full of sociopolitical struggles and themes which make for intensely dramatic storytelling,” Bloodied Porcelain said.

Prior to selecting her players, Bloodied Porcelain said she worked up a basic meta plot capable of unfolding over several seasons. The details of the main plot, however, didn’t come together until the players created their characters.

“The story came together based on the backgrounds we built collaboratively,” Bloodied Porcelain said.

“Opus de Requiem” stars Clara Allison as Lucia de Falisci, a runaway Vodacce sorceress; Typhoon as Lord Heinrich Von Graf, an Eisen war veteran; Glamour as Vivianna Lucani, a Vodacce courtesan; Overthinker as Alonso Hernandez, a wandering Castillian swordsman; and Bookkeper as Alexander Hutcheson, an Avalon scholar and writer.

The characters’ goals range from running away for true love to accepting arranged marriages for the sake of their ancestral lands, and from exploring ancient secrets to very modern politics, Bloodied Porcelain said.

Together, the cast and storyteller possess more than 140 years of TTRPG experience.

“I love the passion and investment that all of my players brought to the experience,” Bloodied Porcelain said. “It kept me on my toes and certainly sometimes made me feel like I was herding a bunch of very dramatic cats in a room full of laser pointers, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

“Opus de Requiem” premiers Saturday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. eastern time, on HHS’ Twitch channel, with episode one, “Bienvenue à Charouse Part 1.” Episodes will air weekly on Saturday at 8 p.m. eastern, and will drop on YouTube and everywhere podcasts can be found each Sunday.

To find more of Hallowed Haven Studios’ shows and to join the HHS vamily, visit https://hallowedhavenstudios.com.

Content warnings for “Opus de Requiem:” As the show’s setting is heavily influenced by a real-world historical time period, it includes themes from that era such as sexism, class struggle, war, violence, religious themes and extremism, famine/starvation, refugees and horror.