324: The White People, with Jared Logan

Release Date: 10/20/2025

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re trying to muster up some faith. Sure, we understand that the Mythos is utterly indifferent to crucifixes and holy water, but maybe we can still find some comfort in religion. But we’re also worried that the wrong kind of belief could end up doing more harm than good, especially if it all turns a bit fanatical. Maybe religious horror is more complicated than just muttering a few prayers and hoping for the best. We haven’t got a prayer, have we? Main Topic: Religious Horror From vampire hunters wielding crucifixes to Taoist priests battling jiangshi with talismans,...

331: Connecting Call of Cthulhu Scenarios, with Zach Reeves

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re stringy Main Topic: Connecting Scenarios in Call of Cthulhu Call of Cthulhu is famous for its epic published campaigns. We’ve all played elaborate treks around the world, punching eldritch evil in the face. But what about the less formal approach where we string together often unconnected adventures into an ad hoc campaign? How do we adapt scenarios to this approach? What are some of the possible pitfalls? And are there any specific tips we’ve picked up over the years? Our Guest Host We are delighted to welcome Zach Reeves to The Good Friends of Jackson...

330: Cryptids and Call of Cthulhu, with Paula Deming

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re blurry. Sure, your camera phone might have all the pixels, but we remain resolutely out of focus. You don’t get to maintain your status as a cryptid by being discernible. Mothman would never speak to us again. And before you complain, do you really want a clear picture of the Michigan Dogman’s notorious genitals? Actually, on second thoughts, don’t answer that one. Main Topic: Cryptids and Call of Cthulhu Call of Cthulhu is full of strange creatures that live in the dark corners of the world, only occasionally encountered by unlucky humans. But how does...

329a: Just One More Thing - sample episode

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

329: Cthulhu and Board Games, with Paula Deming

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re wiping ichor off our meeples. Cthulhu and board games can be a messy combination, but also a popular one. Cynics may tell you that this is because Cthulhu is in the public domain, so anyone can slap his tentacles on a game for a bit of brand recognition. We prefer to think the truth is more insidious than that, however. Every die roll, every card played, every token moved towards its inevitable doom is done in Cthulhu’s most terrible name, the terrible luck of the players and the curses they utter when they lose sustaining him deep beneath the waves. Plus, they’re...

328d: The Great God Pan 4

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We are wrapping up our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , , and , and . You can find the first three parts in your podcast feed, or right here on this very server. So invoke the name of Nodens, practice your knots, and dive into Queer Street with us. , arranged by Jon Fylling, is licenced under the . If you would like to read along at home,...

328c: The Great God Pan 3

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We are continuing our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , and , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you have time to join us for the conclusion at 22:30 GMT on Thursday the 18th of December. So shake the cobwebs loose with a bracing night-time walk, brush up on your Latin, and do try not to dwell on those unsettling illustrations. , arranged by...

328b: The Great God Pan 2

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We are continuing our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , Brian Murphy, , , , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you have time to join us for part 3 at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday the 15th of December. We shall be continuing at the same time on Thursday the 18th. So put down those Chinese boxes, open up a good bottle of chianti, and listen to our tale of...

328a: The Great God Pan 1

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

It is time once again for us to all gather around the virtual hearth for another festive ghost story reading. This year, we present “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen, a weird tale of mad science, supernatural horror, and very human revenge. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , , , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you just have time to join us for part 2 at 22:30 GMT on Tuesday the 16th of December. We shall...

328: The Birds, with Ross Bryant

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re watching the skies. You never know when some gannet might decide to kamikaze its way into your skull, or a mob of hawks take exception to your woodwork and peck it to splinters. We’ve decided to turn to two experts for advice, but their approaches don’t really mesh. Daphne du Maurier would have us hunker down and wait for the inevitable, while Alfred Hitchcock favours stalking your love interest, barely even addressing the avian threat. We’re beginning to think these so-called experts are for the birds. Main Topic: The Birds The Birds is one of Alfred...

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We’re back and we’re enjoying a night out under the hill. While the rest of you are clubbing, we’re trying a different kind of dancing. There’s even a singalong, plus some arts and crafts. Sure, some people might say this is all witchcraft, but we promise you it’s no more sinister than a children’s game. The white people have tried to offer their opinion, but our Aklo is a bit rusty. Maybe the nymphs can help translate, assuming we ever figure out what they actually are. Meanwhile, we’ll just enjoy another goblet of what may be the best wine we’ll ever taste.

Main Topic: The White People

This episode is an in-depth look at Arthur Machen’s weird tale “The White People”. While it’s not a Cthulhu Mythos story, both Machen and this tale were big influences on Lovecraft. You will find elements of it, such as the Aklo language and the Voorish sign, dotted throughout Lovecraft’s work.

But just what is it that makes “The White People” such an enduring favourite? It’s a much more complex tale than it first appears to be, and not one that lends itself to easy analysis. We dig into its symbolism and hidden meanings, looking for both a better understanding of the story and inspiration for our games of Call of Cthulhu.

Our Guest Host

We are delighted to welcome Jared Logan back to the Good Friends! Jared is a stand-up comedian and writer who has been involved with a number of major actual play streams and podcasts, including Glass Cannon, Stream of Blood, and Ain’t Slayed Nobody. You can find Jared on tour right now, supporting Kumail Nanjiani.

News

October Horror Movie Challenge

Scott is closing in on the end of his annual October Horror Movie Challenge, posting daily reviews of horror films on this very site. If you’re of a mind to join in, we would love to chat with you about it. You can find the main discussion on the Good Friends Discord server or over on Bluesky.

Scott on Tear Them Apart

If you’d rather see Scott talk about horror films than reading reviews, he will be appearing on the Tear Them Apart Halloween livestream, along with our good friends Paul Yellovich and Evan Dorkin. This has become something of an annual tradition where we talk about our month’s viewing and answer questions from the audience.

The stream will start at 8 PM EST on the 30th of October, which translates to midnight on the 31st for those of us in the UK, and will go on until we all turn into pumpkins.

Scott on Symphony Entertainment

And in another annual Halloween tradition, Scott will also be joining Bridget Jeffries and Graham Walmsley for a livestreamed game on Symphony Entertainment’s Twitch channel. The game will be completely improvised, drawing on viewer suggestions. Going by previous years, it will probably also include seasonal themes and be soul-crushingly dark.

The stream will take place on Thursday the 23rd of October, beginning at at 2PM EST/7 PM BST, and run for around an hour.

Main Topic: The White People

Our Guest Host

Links

News

October Horror Movie Challenge

Scott on Tear Them Apart

Scott on Symphony Entertainment

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