Rediscovered Realms is catching you up on some of the coolest fantasy news that just won’t fit in our regular weekly edition. Welcome to the October 2026 issue of The Phantasy Snitch!
Rediscovered Realms’ denizens . . . er, citizens can now enjoy a curated lite dose of worthy Fantasy-related news, products, and rumours from the RPG, fantasy book, movie, D&D, LOTR, mythology, board game, art & archaeology genres (and you now have extra time to immerse yourself within all our other beefier newsletters!)
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THE NEWS:
🌫️ “MONSTERS IN THE MIST” HAS ARRIVED!
Well, Adventurers... the mist has finally rolled in.
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I actually began this project over a year ago, before it stalled somewhere along the road and disappeared into the fog. But over the past several weeks, I’ve ventured back into the mist, picked up the trail, and today I can finally announce that Tales of Adventure: Monsters in the Mistis here!
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This new Rediscovered Realms album is a journey into the darker corners of old-world fantasy: mist-shrouded barrows, haunted fens, forgotten hills, moonlit roads, and the creatures that still wander them.
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Across 13 tracks, you’ll encounter kelpies calling from black water, a banshee’s wail, satyrs dancing deep into the night, a sorrowful wight guarding forgotten bones, a phantom piper, the relentless Black Hound, dancing skeletons, the mysterious Widow of Hollow Hill... and other things perhaps better left unnamed until you meet them yourself.
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Musically, I wanted this one to feel like dark fantasy folk from an older world — fiddle, pipes, acoustic strings, drums, haunting voices, crooked melodies, and the sort of songs you might hear by the fireside in a lonely tavern after someone has barred the door for the night.
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And just in time for October.
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Ready to enter the mist?
Visit the official Monsters in the Mist page to hear samples from all 13 tracks, learn more about the album, listen on SoundCloud, or download your own enhanced copy from Gumroad.
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Just remember: once you step off the old road, not everything in the mist wants you to find your way back . . .
“Labyrinth is one of those films that has only become more beloved with time, and Ludo represents so much of what makes the film special,” said Joshua Viola, Bit Bot co-owner. “There’s something immediately endearing about him, but he’s also an incredible example of the creature artistry that defined Jim Henson’s work. We wanted to create something that feels faithful to the character and gives fans a chance to have a little piece of that magic in their own collection.”
Better start practicing the Ludo voice! (You know you hear it in your head, too)
Speaking of . . . comes a LEGO Ideas you can vote for to get created:Labyrinth (1986)
And since we’re already in the mood . . . “Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Illustrated Novelization”
Enter the labyrinth in this illustrated novelization of the classic film that will transport you to a world where nothing is what it seems . . .
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Ok. I get it. Labyrinth masks and books aren’t your thing . . . but what about brand new Magic the Gathering cards? Check out these cheeky goblins from the upcomingMTG SECRET LAIR: Corn Maze Superdrop
I don’t tend to do the Secret Lair drops much anymore since it’s so competitive (and frustrating) to successfully purchase these sets, but I don’t want to discourage you. If I could just do the promo card (above) I would make it happen, though.
Honestly, all 10 of these would make the top of my list (although one in particular that I loved as a kid didn’t stand the test of time as well as the others. Can you guess which one?)
This almost sounds familiar, but I just don’t think I have any recollection of it. Anyone else?
What’s old is new again . . . and again. That’s the curse of when there are badass warriors worthy of emulation. Hoping that modern messaging doesn’t ruin this too bad, here’s screenrant discussing: “Recasting Xena: Warrior Princess For 2026: All 8 Main Characters”
Video game TV series adaptations for fantasy can be hit or miss these days. I actually loved the Warcraft movie, for instance. Now Prime Video is teaming up with Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore for the Amazon adaptation of God of War.
Here’s to hoping not only that it’s good, but that it will last for more than season or two before getting cancelled!
Speaking of Video Game to TV series adaptations, let’s go WAY back to 1989. To a little-known Sega game called “Golden Axe”. Fast forward to today, slap on some humor and animation and Paramount+ brings you . . . well, Golden Axe!
Not gonna lie, this looks pretty fun. (But full disclosure, I also really liked the humor in Krapoplis!)
Who doesn’t like a good costume? They not only transform you into totally different beings but help channel their raw power and confidence into your own psyche. Game of Thrones had some pretty awesome costumes (regardless of what you think about the season finale). But all we ever got to see was them in costume. Ever wonder . . . “What All The Game of Thrones Actors Look Like, Sans the Wigs and Armor”
I honestly hadn’t watched 2-7 in this list, but 1 and 8 are 2 of my all-time favorite shows . . . both of which cancelled too early.
Switching out our remotes for our paintbrushes (or really just our eyes), let’s see some fantasy art news. This particular article from Amazing Stories in 2014 did a neat bit on Walter Velez, famous for his super-fun covers on Robert Aspirin’s MythAdventures book series. The Artful Collector: Where Are They Now? Spotlight on Artist Walter Velez
Francesca Baerald, fantasy cartographer extraordinaire (Dragon Age, Warcraft, Octopath Traveler, Diablo, Dungeons & Dragons) has just released her UNBOUND Artbook Kickstarter Teaser. This book combines hundreds of her sumptuously detailed hand-painted maps.
I love it when fantasy fans indulge in their creativity. I also love the Legend of Zelda. If you do too, you’ll want to check out Phillip Summers’ Beautiful Hand-Drawn Guide to The Legend of Zelda featured by Jason Kottke.
Not only is the building (and story behind it) amazing, I have never seen a Frazetta painting inperson - this video is the next best thing. Books and prints just don’t do justice to seeing the originals on the wall, framed and lit to perfection. The vibrant colors alone shocked my sensibilities.
(And who knew that George Lucas has been privately collecting original Frazettas over the decades?!!!)
Moving from appreciating fantasy art to crafting cool fantasy stuff, you have to see this video from Nerdforge: “I Built a Table with a World Inside”
“Hecate is the queen of all witches. Her realm is known as the „garden of hecate“. Since she was closely associated with plant lore the term „garden of Hecate“ was also used for the plants of the nightshade family. Here in our song a wanderer is lured by three witches into this garden.”
AND if you have just a little more cash to spare . . .
Want to see how the craftsmen of Weta Workshop created some of the most iconic props from the Lord of the Rings movies? Here are 2 you won’t want to miss:
Maria Popova is one of the most erudite humanist writer-philosophers I have ever encountered. I highly recommend her blog, www.TheMarginalian.org to anyone who often finds themselves asking the big questions in life - but I can especially recommend to this audience her article, “J.R.R. Tolkien on How to Fall in Love with Life”
“The enduring myth of a bird reborn from its ashes spans cultures, religions and millennia.”
We talk a lot about dungeons in Rediscovered Realms. Usually due to quests and treasure, but what about real dungeons? Were they real? What were they like beyond the popular imagination? Check out this fascinating article from medievalists.net, “The Medieval Dungeon Myth”
“Dark underground cells, rusting chains and prisoners abandoned beneath a castle have become familiar images of the Middle Ages. But how much of the medieval dungeon is genuine history, and how much was created by later writers, tourists and popular entertainment?”
The dice - the first of its kind to be found at the Roman site - is "wonderfully relatable"
Novelist Dale Kushner has entertained a lifelong fascination with the psyche. In her recent book, Wild Freedom, she notes that we can learn from fairy tales and other ancient stories handed down to us over the centuries. They present a record of universal human challenges—fear, jealousy, abandonment, betrayal—and offer a map to navigating these collective struggles. When all seems lost, we can find ourselves through stories.”
I’ll share one Q&A with Dale from this Psychology Today article that I found pretty meaningful:
How can self-enchantment encourage us to embark on our own journeys of self-discovery? Self-enchantment is the willingness to view one's life as a meaningful story rather than a collection of isolated events. Fairy tales invite us to see ourselves as protagonists capable of growth, courage, and transformation. By embracing imagination, curiosity, and symbolic thinking, we become more open to unexpected possibilities and hidden dimensions of experience. Self-enchantment encourages us to follow the call toward deeper self-knowledge, trusting that the challenges we encounter may be part of a larger journey toward wholeness. Like the heroes of fairy tales, we learn that the path through uncertainty often leads to wisdom, freedom, and renewal.
From “Dungeons & Dragons Treasure” YT channel: “In this video I talk about the differences between the Moldvay Basic set and the Mentzer "Red Box" basic set, and what I like about each.”
“Professor DM explores standout titles from this year's ENNIE Awards to analyze current trends in the tabletop role-playing game industry. The review highlights diverse systems, from narrative-focused frameworks to innovative solo experiences, showcasing the creative range of independent developers pushing beyond traditional gaming boundaries.”
And in Gamebooks, “NevsBookChannel” is reading EVERY original Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebook and highlighting them on his YT channel. This video: “FF5 - City of Thieves”
Congratulations, Dan! I’ll reach out over email to arrange delivery.
(BTW: Dan has an excellent Substack most readers here would enjoy with original fantasy micro-fiction and analysis on books, music, TV, and movies from Stephen King to Lord of the Rings. Checkout Dans Deliberations
UNTIL THE NEXT RUMOUR...
And there we have it, Adventurers — another month’s worth of fantasy treasures, rumours, relics, rabbit holes, and assorted strangeness successfully smuggled past the castle guards.
From labyrinths, Golden Axes, and fantasy artwork to ancient myths, Roman dice, forgotten dungeons, dark RPGs, and wizard staffs, there’s still an awful lot of weird and wonderful stuff happening out there if you know where to look.
Fortunately, The Phantasy Snitch has eyes everywhere. 👁️👁️
Until next time, Rumour-Hungry Adventurers...
Keep the Adventure Going Strong!
WAIT... IS THAT MIST?
In case you mist, err, “missed” the big news above, my new dark fantasy folk album Tales of Adventure: Monsters in the Mist has arrived.
13 tracks. Old roads. Dark forests. Things moving in the fog.
❓Of all the fantasy news, relics, projects, and oddities in this month’s Snitch, what sent you down the biggest rabbit hole?
❓Labyrinth is still going strong 40 years later. What fantasy movie from your younger days still has that same kind of magic for you?
❓If you could own one original piece of fantasy artwork by any artist, living or dead, whose would you choose?
❓A 2,000-year-old Roman bone die somehow survived long enough for us to admire it. What piece of your own gaming or fantasy collection would you want some bewildered archaeologist to dig up 2,000 years from now?
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You are not only brave, but a Generous Adventurer whose love of Discovery, Imagination & Fun transcends our mere mortal coils . . .
