You Meet in a Tavern
Welcome back, wanderers.
Here’s a glimpse at what’s been unfolding across the soundscapes, story realms, and game rooms of Other Worlds Than These this week — from long-awaited releases to quiet signals stirring beneath the surface.
Paths Through the Realms
Seasonal Gifts from the Highways
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the US, and with Christmas just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to grab a gift for someone you care about — or for yourself.
From now through January 2nd, 2026, I’m offering a 15% discount on select Ambient Highways physical products in the shop.
Use the code: HOLIDAY2025
You’ll get 15% off:
Ambient Highways Vinyl
Ambient Highways CD
Ambient Highways Poster
Ambient Highways T-Shirts
Note: Bundle options are excluded from this offer.
You can browse all the eligible items here:
Ambient Highways Collection: https://shop.owtt.net/collections/ambient-highways
Tales Shared Along the Road
Before we venture too far into our own realms, I like to pause here and shine a lantern on a few fellow travelers — creators who stand as Allies across the worlds of sound, story, and play.
This time, I’m highlighting three kindred spirits from across the OWTT Gates:
GenXGrownUp — Allies in Play (Maestoso Gaming)
From the Maestoso Gaming side of the realms, GenXGrownUp has long been one of my Allies in Play. His channel is a celebration of the golden era of gaming, movies, tech, and pop culture — told through the eyes of lifelong fans who refuse to let go of what made it all magical. From Atari to modern consoles, Saturday-morning vibes to modern geek culture, GenXGrownUp bridges past and present with humor, nostalgia, and a genuine passion for play.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GenXGrownUp
(You’ll see more about Allies in Play when we reach the Game Room later in this Dispatch.)
Kori Linae Carothers — Allies in Sound (The Music of Keith Richie)
On the musical front, Kori Linae Carothers is one of my Allies in Sound over on The Music of Keith Richie. She’s a classically trained pianist and composer whose delicate, cinematic style invites listeners into emotional, reflective worlds. Her music blends gentle storytelling with expressive melodies, offering moments of calm, clarity, and inner discovery — an intimate journey that resonates deeply within the landscape of ambient and contemporary instrumental sound.
Website: https://www.koritunes.com/
Bob World Builder — Allies in Story (The Old Bard)
From the storytelling side of the realms, Bob World Builder stands among my Allies in Story at The Old Bard. He helps players and DMs have more fun at the table through clear, creative, and community-driven RPG content. His YouTube channel is a trusted resource for practical tips, inspiring ideas, and accessible guidance for tabletop adventurers looking to bring more life to their games.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BobWorldBuilder
The road is always better traveled with good company — and these three are well worth a visit along the way.
Prove Life Wrong
Prove Life Wrong™ continues to be my way of wrestling with the hard stuff — the weight of expectations, the pace of the world, and the strange paths life throws us onto. It’s about refusing to let circumstance write the ending, even when everything feels like it’s moved on without you.
Since the last Dispatch, two new chapters have joined the journey:
Prove Life Wrong: Slowing Down in a World That’s Moved On
A reflection on what it means to heal and move at a different pace than the world around you — and how choosing to slow down doesn’t mean you’ve given up, it means you’ve decided to move forward on your own terms.Prove Life Wrong: Rooms, Realms, and the Work That Follows You
A look at the spaces we inhabit — physical, mental, and digital — and how old work, old habits, and old pressures can try to follow us into new chapters. This one digs into boundaries, identity, and learning to carry the right things forward.
If you’d like a tangible reminder to keep pushing back, you can also find the Prove Life Wrong™ Collection here: https://shop.otherworldsthanthese.com/collections/prove-life-wrong
Rise. Build. Thrive.
And as always… Prove Life Wrong™.
From the Studio
The studio has been anything but quiet lately. New signals are emerging, stories are deepening, and the threads between sound and story are pulling tighter with each release.
Remote Isolation (The Silence) – Now Released
Remote Isolation (The Silence) has officially stepped out into the world. Where Whispers of The Witch (The Haunting) hinted at something stirring in the dark, this track drifts into the vast, lonely spaces that follow — the quiet distance between what was, what is, and what might be calling next.
It’s a piece about solitude, reflection, and the strange comfort that can be found when everything else falls away and you’re left alone with the echo of your own thoughts.
If you haven’t heard it yet, you can find it on your favorite platform here:
Listen on your preferred service: https://owtt.lnk.to/thesilencewe
Official Video – Remote Isolation (The Silence)
To accompany the release, the official video for Remote Isolation (The Silence) is now live. This visual journey moves through remote landscapes and distant horizons — places where those who hear the call live far from the noise of the world, yet closer to the mystery at its center.
It’s meant to feel like watching the world from the edge of nowhere: quiet, expansive, and just a little unsettling, as if something unseen is starting to take shape beyond the frame.
Watch the official video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jzjn66WBi0
The Next Signal: A Larger Piece of the Puzzle
And this is only the beginning.
Toward the end of December, a much larger release is coming — one that steps beyond a single track and serves as the third clue in the unfolding mystery behind my next big project.
If Whispers of The Witch was the first voice and Remote Isolation the second, this upcoming release begins to show how those threads connect. I’m not revealing the name just yet, but if you’ve been listening closely, you’ll recognize the shape of what’s coming when it arrives.
More on that very soon.
Reviews from the Aural Realms
Through Reviews from the Aural Realms, I continue wandering through the soundscapes of other artists — exploring the stories, emotions, and moments that live between their notes. This time, the journey returns to a familiar band with a heartfelt new single.
Glenda's Song by Rosewood Boulevard
A deeply personal and tender tribute, Glenda’s Song is a warm, steady embrace in musical form. Rosewood Boulevard channels grief, memory, and gratitude into a piece that feels both intimate and universal — the sound of love that refuses to fade, even when the person is gone. It’s a song about holding on, letting go, and honoring the light someone leaves behind.
Another voice will rise from the Aural Realms before long — perhaps it’s already calling.
And if you’re an artist wandering these realms and would like your own music to be featured in a future review, you can learn more about my Review Services here: https://owtt.lnk.to/servicesWE
From the Table
Not all stories are written — some are rolled. Around the table, laughter, chaos, and fate still intertwine as dice carve out legends one critical success (or failure) at a time. This is where the realms come alive through shared imagination, and where The Old Bard continues to spin new tales.
Runes of Ruin: Secrets of the Forgotten Vault
Our ongoing delve into Runes of Ruin: Secrets of the Forgotten Vault continues to unfold, with new expeditions venturing ever deeper into the mysteries below. If you’ve been curious about joining a session, now is a great time to step in — there’s always room at the table for another brave (or foolish) soul willing to tempt fate.
Keep an eye on upcoming sessions and grab a seat here:
https://owtt.lnk.to/ror
The Old Bard’s Visage Renewed
The Old Bard has received a fresh enchantment of visage — or, in less medieval terms, a complete new look and feel. I’ve updated The Old Bard website with a cleaner, more immersive layout designed to make it easier to find adventures, articles, and resources:
Visit the refreshed halls of The Old Bard:
https://theoldbard.com/
In fact, every single brand within Other Worlds Than These has now been brought into alignment, with a unified visual identity across the realms — music, story, and play now feel like they truly belong to the same Weave.
Tomes of The Old Bard – The Library in Motion
It may not have been very apparent with the old look of the site, but my personal catalog — which I call Tomes of The Old Bard — is in the midst of a serious update. I’m revisiting and refining the way books, adventures, and resources are presented, so it’s easier to see what’s available now and what’s coming in the future.
Progress has been a bit slower than I’d like because, well… life keeps trying to kill me. But the work continues, page by page and tome by tome.
Explore the growing collection here:
https://theoldbard.com/books/
From the Game Room
Not every journey needs spellbooks and starships — sometimes it’s a controller, a keyboard, or a clacking arcade stick that opens the next portal. In the Game Room, I share what’s been happening over at Maestoso Gaming — the new home for my gaming content, unboxings, and digital adventures.
Announcing Maestoso Gaming — A New Realm Within the Weave
To officially welcome this new branch of The Weave, I put together a post introducing Maestoso Gaming and what you can expect from it — from retro-flavored unboxings and thoughtful reflections on games, to series that tie directly back into the worlds of Other Worlds Than These.
If you’d like the full story behind why I launched a dedicated gaming brand, you can read the announcement here:
Announcing Maestoso Gaming — A New Realm Within the Weave
https://otherworldsthanthese.com/announcing-maestoso-gaming/
And of course, you can step straight through the portal anytime! The Maestoso Gaming website is now live at maestosogaming.com, and the YouTube channel has officially spun up at @maestosogaming. If you enjoy retro hardware, atmospheric playthroughs, and storytelling through games, I’d love for you to stop by and subscribe.
Unboxing the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition: A Retro Classic Reborn
One of the first adventures in the Game Room was a deep nostalgic hit: unboxing the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition — Mega Collector Bundle. This one is pure retro joy — a modern reimagining of a classic console, right down to the packaging, cartridges, and that unmistakable “PAC-MAN” charm.
On the Maestoso Gaming site, I walk through the bundle, impressions, and what it feels like to hold this piece of history reborn:
Unboxing the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition: A Retro Classic Reborn
https://maestosogaming.com/unboxing-the-atari-2600-pac-man-edition/
And if you prefer to watch the excitement unfold, you can catch the full unboxing video here:
Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition — Mega Collector Bundle Unboxing!
The Old Bard Rides West: Red Dead Redemption 2
The Old Bard has also saddled up and ridden west. In The Old Bard Rides West: Red Dead Redemption 2, I talk about how Red Dead Redemption 2 quite literally brought me back to gaming — not just as a pastime, but as a meaningful, atmospheric experience that lingered long after the credits.
On the site, I dig into why this game hit so hard for me, and how it ties into story, music, and mood:
The Old Bard Rides West: Red Dead Redemption 2
https://maestosogaming.com/rdr2/
There’s also a companion video series on YouTube. The first part is now live:
Red Dead Redemption 2 Brought Me Back to Gaming | The Old Bard Rides West (Part 1)
More parts will follow as the journey continues across the frontier.
Through the Composer’s Lens: Before the First Note — A Prelude to Skyrim
On the Maestoso Gaming side of things, I also began a new written series called “Through the Composer’s Lens” — a look at games not just as a player, but as a composer and storyteller. The first entry, “Before the First Note — A Prelude to Skyrim,” begins before character creation, exploring how a game’s world, atmosphere, and sonic identity start shaping ideas long before a single note is written.
If you’ve ever wondered how a composer looks at a game like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — not just as an epic RPG, but as a living, breathing canvas for sound — you can read the prelude here:
Through the Composer’s Lens: Before the First Note — A Prelude to Skyrim
Coming Up
The road ahead is starting to glow a little brighter. With Remote Isolation (The Silence) now out in the world, the next release — arriving in late December — will be a much larger step forward, and the third clue in the mystery behind my next big project. If you’ve been listening closely to the whispers so far, this one should feel like a key turning in the lock.
Beyond the studio, the realms stay busy: more sessions of Runes of Ruin: Secrets of the Forgotten Vault, continued work on expanding the Tomes of The Old Bard, and new entries in the Prove Life Wrong™ series are all on the way.
Over in the Game Room, you can expect additional parts of The Old Bard Rides West for Red Dead Redemption 2, along with future installments of Through the Composer’s Lens following on from the Skyrim prelude — diving deeper into how music, mood, and worldbuilding intersect inside the games we love.
And somewhere in the midst of all that, another voice from the Aural Realms is waiting its turn.
Until the next door opens
The wheel keeps turning.
Thank you again for being part of Other Worlds Than These — whether you come for the sound, the story, the game room, or the strange in-between places where all three meet. Your presence, messages, and encouragement continue to breathe life into everything I create.
If you’d like to help keep these realms growing, there are many ways to lend a hand — from joining the Patreon to sharing posts, streaming the music, visiting Maestoso Gaming, or exploring the full list of support options here:
🌐 https://owtt.net/support
See you in the next clearing…
and we’ll palaver a while.
Rise. Build. Thrive.
And as always… Prove Life Wrong™.
Long days and pleasant nights,
— Keith Richie
Maestoso – Gunslinger of Sound | The Old Bard