CW: Brief moment of tea sipping early on. Nothing egregious, but it may bother some listeners. Implied and audible violence caused by fighting or claws.

A quiet holiday reflection from the Himalaya Rift. This special broadcast features the original four shorts that first set our heroes on their journey — the early sparks of what Way of the Jaded Fist would become. Some characterizations and narrative details have shifted over the year, but the heart of these stories remains the spirit Desmond Childs always intended to carry forward.

Alongside the archival shorts, the cast shares insight, gratitude, and thoughts on how far the series has come. Thank you for walking this path with us. If the journey resonates, please follow, subscribe, and share the show — your support keeps the lanterns lit.

Merry Christmas, from the Rift.

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jadedfistdrama.wordpress.com for light novel chapters, lore posts, Osts, transcripts, and character analysis.

Some voices were implemented using text-to-speech, and real voice actors were financially compensated. We are dedicated to responsible and ethical use of A.I. as a tool, and not a weapon of theft. The show is a blend of talent and technology.

Before the peace of Harbortown, the Rift was bleeding.
Agent Daniel Rose of the New Republic—known as Rose on the Grave—faced an impossible war against ronin rebels and deserters consuming the land.
To end the bloodshed, he turned to Master Fong, the Vampire Butcher of the Rift, offering a soldier’s mercy: let one evil devour the others.

What began as compassion became a curse that hollowed him from within.
Name Beneath Mercy reveals the origins of Danny’s pact, the birth of his curse, and the moral ruin that would shape the man called the Jaded Fist.

In the present, Kai-Lung, Esmeralda, and Captain Marta struggle to define what kindness means after the war—when even mercy carries a ledger.

He called on a monster to restore order—and learned that mercy enforced is mercy lost.

Tone: mythic · tragic · wuxia noir
Themes: mercy as control · justice vs. compassion · the price of peace
Continuity: canonical interlude between Names That Burn, Part III and Names That Burn I/Season of Lanterns I

This episode contains mature themes including:

• Depictions of war violence and mass death

• Psychological manipulation, moral corruption, and existential dread

• Brief references to blood, sacrifice, and spiritual decay

Listener discretion is advised.
Intended for mature audiences (16+).

This episode of Way of the Jaded Fist combines real voice performances with AI-assisted voice synthesis (TTS) created using licensed and permissioned voice models.
TTS performances are used for supplemental roles, narration, and ambience, and are edited, directed, and mastered by the production team to maintain tone and authenticity.No voices are used without consent, and all characters remain the creative property of the show.

Credits

Written & Produced by Desmond Childs
Featuring Voices of Danny Rose, Master Fong, Kai-Lung, Esmeralda, Captain Marta
Sound Design & Mix by Reaper DAW
A Tales of the Rift Story from Way of the Jaded Fist

A whispered chapter from Danny Rose’s past rises to the surface—where mercy was a weapon, and the cost of using it still echoes across the Rift. Name Beneath Mercy is a quiet storm of an interlude, revealing the choices that shaped the man long before Harbortown ever knew his name.

Need to catch up on episodes:

jadedfistdrama.wordpress.com to listen to episodes, read lore posts, and following along with the light novel serial!

(Nov-Dec Storyline, 2025)

Marta protects a merchant and works on her latest invention. Asako leaves work early to provide for her siblings but learns of some distressing news. Kai-Lung's quiet sulking gives way to an interesting visit from an unlikely guest.

Special Guest Stars Moonlight.Revere (The Haunted Masquerade) and @CallMeSciBye.

'Way of the Jaded Fist' utilizes text to speech features as well as the services of real voice artists to bring these characters to life. No one's voice is used without their permission. We've decided to use these sorts of features as an ethical tool for storytelling, and NOT as a weapon of theft. It truly is a blend of talent and technology!

Bonus Halloween Content!

An aging warrior, filled with sorrow and regret, seeks refuge at a forgotten shrine, deep in the bamboo forests.

Vocal Performance by Desmond Childs

It's loosely adapted from an old Chinese tale, but this one, I've added the Japanese style of storytelling, we're all used to here on B&B and WoTJF. Enjoy!

A lone merchant seeks shelter from a storm—and finds a monk whose devotion hides a darker hunger. The Pilgrim’s Warning is a folk-horror tale from the Rift: a storm road, an empty temple, and a vow broken by something that remembers.

From Bard & Biwa — a Project Zion Theatre production within the Way of the Jaded Fist universe.

CW: Body horror, predatory religious figure, chase sequence.

Performance and Narration by: Desmond Childs

***Voice changer utilized for performances

Warning: Some crude humor

Holiday Season Premiere: “I Quit My Job to Make Coffee and Accidentally Started a Philosophy Club”

A King’s Java Story — Now Brewing in the Jaded Fist Feed

This holiday season, while Harbortown hangs its lanterns and the rain hums against café glass, a new voice quietly slips onto the #JadedFistDrama RSS feed.

No swords.
No demons.
Just a barista, a stranger, and the sound of a coffee grinder that refuses to cooperate.

“I Quit My Job to Make Coffee and Accidentally Started a Philosophy Club” is a new slice-of-life spinoff that began, quite literally, by accident. What started as an improvised ElevenLabs test turned into something we couldn’t stop smiling about — an entire series of cozy, philosophical conversations brewed from the same heart that powers Way of the Jaded Fist.

It’s not an action drama. It’s not even trying to be one. It’s a quiet morning between storms — the kind of story that reminds you that warmth isn’t a plot twist; it’s a state of mind.

Season Two begins. A village lies in ruin, and whispers of painted suns drift through the Rift. Danny Rose and Lady Esmeralda find themselves drawn into a mystery that feels larger than any one battle. What does it mean when names are burned, and who benefits from the silence left behind? Names That Burn asks more questions than it answers — and the shadows are only beginning to stir.

Special Guest Stars: Alex Green (Navigator), Bradford Zygmontowicz (The Midnight Manuscripts)