In March 2022, digital tabletop roleplaying platform Demiplane launched Children of Éarte, a new D&D actual play series with actor and Dungeon Master Deborah Ann Woll, on its Twitch channel. A fairy tale for adults that’s inspired by classic stories like the Snow Queen, Children of Éarte gives a unique spin to D&D characters by starting out with a party of regular old humans. The classes and abilities of each character are revealed to them (and the audience) gradually as the series progresses.
After several months on the air, Children of Éarte is looking like a long-running campaign that’s here to stay. This means, for any newcomers or long-time watchers with average memories, there’s a load of content to keep up with. Clues and character development crop up with every new episode, so how can Éarte fans avoid being left behind when the metaphorical TTRPG train departs?
We’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know about Children of Éarte. We’ll keep details on the cast and plot up-to-date as new episodes air and mysteries begin to unfold.
If you’re looking for more in-depth reviews, here are some more in-depth recaps of Children of Éarte’s early episodes (plus exclusive cast interviews):
- Episode 1 – Starlight Special
- Episode 2 – Whispers on the Wind
- Episode 3 – PRBLMs
- Episode 4 – Shivering Shadows
- Episode 5 – An Empty Train
- Episode 6 – Enough Blood
- Episode 7 – Campfire Mysteries
- Episode 8 – Magic Muscles
- Episode 9 – Icky Ichor
- Episode 10 – Blackest Night
- Episode 11 – Rat Party
DnD Children of Éarte cast
Here’s a quick summary of everyone involved in the world of Éarte:
Deborah Ann Woll
Actor and long-time D&D player, Deborah Ann Woll is Children of Éarte’s Dungeon Master. She developed the series’ story and setting, plus the occasional extra homebrew rule not found in the official Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Silas Jordan (Adam Bradford)
Demiplane CDO and D&DBeyond co-founder Adam Bradford plays Silas Jordan. Silas owns a games, toys and comics store, and he’s never short of pop culture references to help him make sense of the new world he’s landed in. Silas discovered his ticket for the Starlight Special amongst the items he inherited from his late grandfather.
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Fairuza Armstrong (Alicia Marie)
According to costume artist, writer, and performer Alicia Marie, her character Fairuza Armstrong “lives her life very much by the book”. Fairuza is a 26-year-old junior partner at a Manhattan law firm. A child of the foster system, Fairuza specialises in family law and child welfare – and she was sent her mysterious train ticket by a beloved social worker she hasn’t seen in 17 years.
Maeve Flynn (Jennifer Kretchmer)
Before her best friend sent Maeve a ticket for the Starlight Express, she was sorting mail for a law firm. Her free time isn’t so stuffy, though. Maeve loves to be free, have fun, and maybe play the odd prank or two on her friends. She’s played by Jennifer Kretchmer, who is known for their work as a disability consultant, Twitch streamer, and TTRPG writer.
Carolyn ‘Neb’ Stern (Lauren Urban)
Better known as Neb, Carolyn Stern is a graduate and a baker. The grandfather that gave Neb her nickname also gave her a ticket to the Starlight Special. He encouraged her to “see the stars”, and Neb is drawn to the wonder and magic of the world around her. She is played by Lauren Urban, who coordinates content for Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms.
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Robin Beckett (Hope LaVelle)
At 80 years old, it seems there’s no hobby or job Robin Beckett hasn’t had. Her late husband Harold bought tickets for the Starlight Special over a decade ago, and, drawn by its mystery, Robin has set off for another adventure. She’s played by stunt artist and film director Hope LaVelle.
DnD Children of Éarte recap
And now, the story so far…
The Starlight Special
Children of Éarte begins with a trip on the Starlight Special, a train whose passengers all received their tickets from loved ones in mysterious ways. The party meet Gloria, the train’s conductor, who shares the Starlight Special’s itinerary. Travelling at night, the train will stop at five sightseeing locations – Twin Creek Mine, Hollowvale, Blackwater Bay, the Bellecastle Cap glacier, and the Farnshall Wilds.
Not long after setting off, the party becomes fascinated by the locked door of Room A. The group attempt to break in, but they take damage when they mess with the door. Silas recklessly scales the outside of the train to try and look into Room A’s window. He almost dies in the process, and he’s scared half to death by a woman’s monstrous face appearing behind the glass.
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The door to room A opens by seemingly magical means, and the group communicate with a ghost named Ivy who is trapped in a shattered mirror. Ivy begs them to free her by retrieving the missing shards of the mirror – all of which can be found at a different location on the train’s sightseeing route. After escaping a shadowy figure who ambushes them in Room A, everyone discovers the train has stopped – and everyone else on board has become ghost-like figures.
The group gathers what clues and supplies they can, and they set off for the train’s first stop on foot. The party are attacked by wolves and Ice Mephits on their journey, but combat brings out their newfound magical abilities – for example, Fairuza has incredible strength, and Neb can both cast spells and speak with animals.
Twin Creek Mine
Investigating Twin Creek Mine uncovers several things – a cyanide leaching field, a broken lift, and some icky ichor inside a ventilation shaft, to name a few. The party also discovers an army of rats in the mine during a nightly watch, and they’re quickly invited to a party the rats are hosting. While the rest of the party explores the bottom floor of the mine (and Fairuza is attacked by an eyeless white snake), Silas and Neb attend the rat party.
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The group learns the first mirror shard can be found by decoding cryptic messages carved on walls throughout the mine by ‘Steve’. Steve is the keyword for a Vignére cypher, and Maeve figures out the first message reads “skip three, don’t slip”. After reconvening to decode the message, the party splits again – Neb, Maeve, and Silas end up exploring a tunnel hidden behind canvas in the back of the cave, leaving Robin and Fairuza behind.
Robin spots a hummingbird and follows it with Fairuza, convinced it’s a sign from her late husband Harold (who used to call her a hummingbird as a nickname). The pair are led to a large statue covered in etchings of different elements. “Give me what I crave”, asks the statue.
Robin is crushed by one of the statue’s arms after guessing what the statue needs is a hug. The two eventually manage to light all the etchings up with water, wall muck, and different spells to match the remaining elements. Once appeased, the statue partially heals Robin, comes to life, and exits the cave – leaving Fairuza and Robin to uncover a new coded message: “turn R, step skip”.
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Meanwhile, there’s a cave-in and a flood while Neb, Maeve, and Silas are exploring. While figuring out a way to climb upwards and escape, a vampire-like creature attacks. It’s defeated with Vicious Mockeries, a wolf wildshape, a magical letter opener, and the music of the Arctic Monkeys. More of these creatures pursue the trio, and they have to contend with more of the acidic ichor from earlier as they escape. Silas sustains a nasty slashing wound on his leg.
On their way back to their companions, Maeve discovers the ickor doesn’t damage gold. The group finally reunite for some rest and healing.