Line #59 Podcast/TheByronChronicles


1	->''"Imagine if the world as you know it... was nothing more than an illusion. What if creatures like elves, dragons, vampire, zombies and werewolves walk amongst you every day... but you never see them. This is the world I walk in. I am called Byron. And these are my chronicles."''
2
3	The time? Present day, or something not too far off. The place? UsefulNotes/{{Portland}}, Oregon. The problem? More like problem''s''. The Vatican's trying to prevent a ZombieApocalypse, some idiots in England freed a bunch of fallen angels from their prison, Satan's lost his daughter and is '''not''' happy about it, and a new street drug is turning the home less people who use it into monsters. It's up to Byron, an immortal superhuman of unknown origin, to save the day.
4
5	''The Byron Chronicles'' is an audio drama series from [[http://www.darkerprojects.com/ Darker Projects]] and [[http://ericbusbypresents.com/category/the-byron-chronicles/ Eric Busby Presents]] dealing with the troubles behind maintaining TheMasquerade. David Ault stars as moody Byron, a being with immense powers who spends his life protecting humans and keeping the peace in his chosen home of Portland. He's been around awhile, and he's not happy that things keep going wrong. Joining him in his endeavors is Christina Sparrow, a young woman who had a run-in with a monster that left her very changed, and together they explore the underworld of magic that lies just beneath the surface of reality.
6
7	Season One dealt mostly with Christina's introduction to Byron, as well as werewolf pack politics, a street drug that turns long-term users into monsters, and an angel prison known as the Labyrinth. Season Two wrapped up the Labyrinth storyline and swept Byron and Chris up in a vampire clan conflict that almost destroyed Portland, while tormenting Byron with the consequences of past actions. Season Three introduced Sam from Vermont, and delved into Byron's past when he began his battle against a powerful being known only as Leviathan. Season 4 sent Byron and Sam on a journey from realm to realm as they try to save all of reality from Leviathan's schemes.
8	----
9	!!This podcast provides examples of:
10	* ActionGirl: Chris, Gabriel, Agent Kathrine
11	* ActionSurvivor: Sam
12	** Jo from "A Time of Rising": she survived a week on her own in a town full of zombies and ReligionOfEvil cultists bent on human sacrifice, but only by not going outside.
13	* AdrenalineMakeover: Chris goes from a naive college student to a badass DemiHuman with superhuman strength.
14	* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: Despite all the efforts to keep Leviathan from gaining the stones, she does. This turns out to be all part of Logan's plan, and in the last episode of season 4, the world and everyone in it is destroyed.]]
15	* AllMythsAreTrue: not only myths and legends, but ''multiple fictional stories''. See ShoutOut below for some examples.
16	* [[AntiHero Anti-Hero]]: Byron is reluctant to get involved with other people's troubles unless ItsPersonal, to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, helping a friend or the problem is his fault.
17	** He also seems protective of his adopted home of Portland, Oregon.
18	* AmateurCast: While David Ault and Laura Post are moderately well-known voice actors, most of the cast are unknowns.
19	* ApocalypseHow: Rome's fall was between types 0 and 1.
20	** A [[AlternateUniverse mirror world]] Byron visits experiences a Class X, and in the same episode [[ArchangelGabriel Gabriel]] tells Byron of another that experienced a Class 6 [[NiceJobBreakingItHero indirectly due to his companion Jo's actions]].
21	** The Leviathan is after a Class Z, the total destruction of God's creation.
22	* ApocalypseMaiden: [[spoiler: Chris]]
23	* ArcWords: "Leviathan dances"
24	* ArtifactOfDoom: the stones that Leviathan is seeking. They'll destroy both the world and all its mirror worlds.
25	* TheAtoner: Byron's comments indicate that his present heroic actions and duties are an attempt to balance some rather questionable actions in his MysteriousPast.
26	* BadSanta: In "Nicholas", Byron takes Chris to the North Pole and reveals that Saint Nicholas is in fact a powerful demon condemned to give out presents as atonement for past sins.
27	* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: [[spoiler: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] turns out to be a werewolf in the episode featuring him.
28	* BroughtDownToNormal: Happens to Byron for a time if he pushes his power too far, [[spoiler: like in Season Two]].
29	* ByronicHero: [[SarcasmMode Guess]]
30	* CameBackWrong: [[spoiler: Lazarus (aka that one guy whom Jesus brought back from the dead) not only didn't die naturally again, but precipitated the entire ZombieApocalypse.]]
31	* CataclysmClimax: In the volcanic mirror-universe, Byron and Sam escape just before the Army base where they've been staying moments before it's swallowed by a lava flow.
32	* TheChessmaster: Leviathan
33	* ChekhovsGun: the Noise
34	* ChristmasEpisode: Four so far: "Nicholas - A Christmas Tale," "Alistair and the Strange Case of the Christmas Undead", "Christmas Special 2011", and "Father Christmas"
35	* ChurchMilitant: The Watch, a secret branch of the Vatican
36	* ColdBloodedTorture: In the past, Byron has been ''sealed in concrete'' while poisonous green dragon venom is injected into him via an IV.
37	* ComeWithMeIfYouWantToLive: Byron to Sam in Blackthorn
38	* ConvenientReplacementCharacter: Byron's female companions tend to qualify, in keeping with the Series/DoctorWho-esque vibe the show has.
39	* CreatorCameo: Eric Busby plays the vampire Edmund in "Noise", "Autumn Twilight", and "Autumn Dawn". He's also played various bit roles throughout the series:
40	** 1x02 "Disoriented": Wraith
41	** 1x06 "A Time of Returning": Cultist
42	** 1x09 "Nicholas - A Christmas Tale": Elf 2
43	** 2x10 "Alistair and the Strange Case of the Christmas Undead": Guard
44	** 3x08 "In Fire": Gargoyle
45	** 4x08 "October": Pilot
46	** 4x09 "November": Scientist
47	** 5x05 "Krampus": Kettle and Jack O' Lantern
48	* DeadpanSnarker: Byron, especially in the face of danger. It's actually one of his most famous traits in-universe.
49	** Max, the Armani-wearing, merlot-downing demon.
50	** Chris picks it up from Byron by season three.
51	* DemiHuman: Chris, post-monster attack.
52	* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler: Caroline]] in "Dead Time".
53	* DamselInDistress: When Chris first appears, she's attacked by a Rush user-turned-monster and must be saved by Byron.
54	* {{Dracula}}: Wants to kill Byron. Though, to be fair, Byron did [[spoiler: kill his wife]].
55	* TheDreaded: Multiple factions are extremely terrified of Byron. For good reason. The exact protocols vary between "kill on sight", "imprison forever" and "don't piss him off".
56	* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Many of the vampires live in complex subterranean chambers to protect themselves from the sun.
57	* EmptyShell: [[spoiler: Chris's]] dead body is possessed by [[spoiler:Leviathan]].
58	* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: [[spoiler: "All Things Face an Ending"]]
59	* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
60	** Byron gets his in episode 1, where he [[spoiler:abandons Agent Kathrine to be nuked or eaten by zombies so he won't be recaptured by the Watch.]] Turns out [[spoiler:it was zombies, and she survives. So to speak.]]
61	** Sam's is in the first episode of season 3, when she accepts Leviathan's "religion" just so that the local crazy will leave her alone.
62	** Slate's is in "Forgotten Sins", when he snipes at Byron during a family meeting.
63	** Agent Kathrine in "All Things Face an Ending," she chooses to fight [[spoiler:Lucifer even though she knows she will be killed doing so.]] Also, in "A Sort of Homecoming," where, when she meets Bryon, she immediately shoots him in the chest.
64	* FantasticDrug: The new street drug Rush, a potent psychedelic, is growing popular amongst the locals of Portland... [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting and turning its long-term users into vampire-like monsters]]. Byron can't find the secret ingredient until Chris comes along - she was bitten by a user and became a vampire-like human. Turns out it's [[spoiler:vampire blood]] that's causing all the trouble.
65	* FateWorseThanDeath: Faven, a half-demon, is trapped within Byron's tower after breaking in. [[spoiler: Chris's]] imprisonment in Dracula's machine also counts.
66	* FriendOrIdolDecision: At the beginning of Season Two, Byron is trapped with Jo on a [[AlternateUniverse mirror world]] by [[LouisCypher Logan]] so that Logan can free Myth/{{Lilith}} from Byron's realm. [[spoiler: Later it is revealed that Byron could have returned at any time to his own realm without Jo but chose to stay to try and get Jo home, thus invoking this trope. However [[ShootTheShaggyDog Jo dies and Lilith is freed anyway]].]]
67	* TheFundamentalist: The Watch, Agent Kathrine in particular. Ironically, [[spoiler:she ends up starting an extra-marital sexual relationship. Which eventually becomes a ''pre''-marital relationship.]]
68	* FurAgainstFang: "Code of Conduct" has almost-vampire Chris meet a female werewolf named Amy. They don't get along.
69	** [[spoiler: Subverted at the end of Season 2 when the eastern council of vampires and the werewolves join forces against Dracula and begin to broker a more permanent peace.]]
70	* FutureMeScaresMe: In Season 3, [[spoiler:Vastator is a powerful, future EvilOverlord version of Byron. Present Byron eventually ''becomes'' Vastator, and Vastator becomes regular Byron again. ItMakesSenseInContext.]]
71	* HalloweenEpisode: Four so far - "Faven's Fate", "Dead Time", "The Night of '68", and "October".
72	* GovernmentConspiracy: The Organization, introduced in "A Time Of Rising", is a branch of the U.S. Government dealing with things like angels and keeping the public in the dark.
73	* HellIsThatNoise: In-universe - The episode "Noise" has the human population of Portland [[HatePlague driven mad]] by a high-frequency sound. Also qualifies as a [[BrownNote Brown Note]].
74	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Lazarus, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in "Alistair and the Strange Case of the Christmas Undead".
75	* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
76	** [[spoiler:Chris kills the creator of Rush, but she wouldn't have been able to kill him without the drug.]]
77	** In Chaos Faction, Ep 6, [[spoiler:someone reluctantly betrays ''Byron'' and leaves him for dead, for the greater good. It's not clear if he notices the irony.]]
78	* HorrorHunger: The thirst Byron describes in "Autumn Dawn" as he's [[spoiler: being turned into a vampire]].
79	* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler: Leviathan]]
80	** Byron himself may qualify, due to his unique nature and odd appearance.
81	** [[spoiler: Chris may also qualify, due to her OneWingedAngel nature.]]
82	** Nicholas definitely qualifies. He spends most of his time as a wrinkled, filthy, hideously ugly demon in a dungeon.
83	* IntercontinuityCrossover: Evangeline, the main antagonist of [[http://leviathanchronicles.com/ The Leviathan Chronicles]] has met up with Byron a couple times at "The Salty Squid," a bar located in the Leviathan universe. This is due to the fact that Laura Post, who plays Evangeline, also plays Chris in "Byron." (Angus, the bartender, also makes a guest appearance in these episodes.)
84	* InterspeciesFriendship: Slate, Byron's older brother, and the archangel Gabriel.
85	* InvisibleToNormals: Chris realizes how much of the world is magically concealed after she's attacked by a Rush user.
86	* {{Jerkass God\|s}}: God created the world and sent Jesus to die for humanity, but now he doesn't give a crap.
87	** Though for some, AlternateCharacterInterpretation applies here: is God simply [[TheChessmaster using his angels and Byron to accomplish his goals?]]
88	** In "The Dark Labyrinth," Legion reveals that God is just one of many, and that He imprisoned all the older gods out there.
89	* KissOfTheVampire: In "When the Storm Breaks," a goth girl willingly gives herself to be eaten by the vampires Zafrina and Demetri.
90	*** -> "It is not murder if I give myself willingly to them. This is something I have dreamt of all my life."
91	* KnightTemplar: Agent Kathrine of the Watch
92	* LivingBattery: [[spoiler: Chris]] for the portal device
93	* LongGame: Leviathan manipulating vampires into creating Rush so that [[spoiler: Chris]] will become a living vampire and be able to support the portal device
94	* LouisCypher: Logan, though he's not actually trying to hide his true nature.
95	* MageTower: Byron's home in the Rose Gardens
96	* TheManBehindTheMan: The One Who Is All [[spoiler: who is revealed to be Logan]]
97	* TheMasquerade: referred to by name and actually made into law via the Masquerade Pact, which prohibits humans finding out about the nature of reality en masse.
98	* TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife: Surprisingly averted - Chris's transformations actually enhance her love life, giving her exciting new dating prospects in Byron.
99	* TheMultiverse: Bryon and his companions often travel between different Earths in their attempts to stop Leviathan.
100	* MyGreatestFailure: Byron has a lot of these in his past but the greatest may be [[spoiler: being forced to kill Chris]].
101	* MyNaymeIs: While Agent Kathrine has had several iterations of her name, none of them are common spellings of it: Kathryn, Katharine, and Kathrine. All are variants of the more commonly used name Katherine (or Catherine).
102	* MySecretPregnancy: "Code of Conduct" has Amy the werewolf pregnant by Gareth, a member of her pack (but not the one she's supposed to mate with). She conceals her pregnancy to save her own life; in the werewolf laws, a female who doesn't mate with the Alpha to preserve the bloodline is killed.
103	* MysteriousPast: Byron himself, of course, and his three siblings as well. They all have their own realms, and it's hinted that they control the four seasons (Byron being autumn, while Slate is winter, Zoe is spring and Aestiva is summer), but most of their true nature remains unknown. Some of it is actually addressed.
104	** Though we do discover that Byron once called himself Alistair.
105	** Bryon is referred to as the Pale Man. However, he is told by God that he is going to have to meet the Pale Man, which confuses even Byron.
106	** And his father liked to fish, and that his name is [[spoiler: Peter]].
107	** Byron also had something to do with the fall of Rome, and whatever he did not only caused the imprisonment of Death but makes everyone afraid of him.
108	** It is implied that Byron traveled with Jesus. It's also revealed that he betrayed someone important.
109	* NaiveNewcomer: Chris, Sam, Morgan, and Jenny [[spoiler: though Morgan and Jenny don't last long. They each are killed in the episode they're introduced in.]]
110	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Voices of Flame and Leviathan
111	* NotInMyContract: Max will only do what he and Chris bargained for - to the letter. Even if that means letting the villain escape.
112	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: A regular occurrence of the series.
113	** Byron has destroyed Rome, [[spoiler: created a demonic mist and refused to save its third victim before imprisoning it, created a race of super zombies ForScience and refused to give up Lilith to angels which may result in the destruction of all reality]]. Among others.
114	*** Perhaps the most spectacular example is the season 2 finale, in which he thinks that [[spoiler: killing Chris will stop Leviathan from entering the world, but in reality merely creates an EmptyShell for the malevolent spirit to possess.]]
115	** Hurray Jo, you saved the world from the fallen Seraphim! [[spoiler: By releasing them into another world where they killed everyone.]]
116	** Even UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} gets one of these! [[spoiler: Turns out he brought Lazarus back from the dead alright - as the first flesh-eating zombie.]]
117	* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler: Chris can assume a monstrous form if angry or threatened.]]
118	* [[OnlyInItForTheMoney Only In It For The Merlot]]: Max, a demon summoned by Chris to find out what's causing the Noise.
119	** As he puts it, "like banks, there are no vineyards in Hell." Apparently wine's quite hard to come by when you're a demon.
120	*** A season three episode explains that the wine can restore energy and some magic after a shock or exertion.
121	* OurMonstersAreDifferent: [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Angels]], vampires, [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]], and zombies all make appearances.
122	** The angels are all fallen, cast out of heaven by an apathetic God. Though some still serve him out of loyalty.
123	** The vampires are made due to a virus that is spread by being bitten.
124	** The werewolves worship the goddess of the moon and have a matrilineal society in which the genetic strength is passed through the female.
125	** Zombies can be brought back to humanity with a drug, but only remain human if not fully turned and continuously taking the pills.
126	* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: In "A Time of the Fallen", Jo, in an effort to escape from some cultists, opens a number of code-locked doors by punching in [[spoiler: [[Film/JamesBond 007]].]]
127	* PoliceAreUseless: Both justified and played straight. An entire pack of werewolves are running loose in Portland the night of a full moon in "Code of Conduct", making no effort to conceal themselves, but the cops aren't called once. Later, the entire city breaks down into anarchy in "Noise", but the police are just as affected by the noise as anyone else.
128	* PowerAtAPrice: Death gives up his staff in order for Byron to cross worlds in order to stop Leviathan. In return, once his quest is fulfilled, Byron must return, and take Death's place.
129	* PowerUpFood: Wine and rice pudding for any magical/demonic/angelic beings
130	* PoweredByAForsakenChild: the portal machine that brings Leviathan into our world
131	* PublicDomainCharacter: Dracula and his wife Mina
132	* ProBonoBarter: Chris gets Max's help in exchange for a case of merlot.
133	** She did offer to pay him, but his reaction was less than pleased:
134	*** -> "You think there are exchange rates in Hell? A branch of Western Union to cash a check?"
135	* ReligionOfEvil: Leviathan's "religion", which not only marks believers with a tattoo-like symbol but protects them from going insane.
136	** The Seraphim's cult in "A Time of Rising"
137	* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler: Chris]]
138	* SadisticChoice: A running theme of the show. Byron preserves himself above all else despite his protectiveness of the mortal world, and many of his enemies will make him have to choose between saving the world/his friends/etc. and saving himself.
139	** He's made the selfish choice before in-series; this keeps the trope from becoming repetitive because each new dilemma makes him respond differently.
140	* SantaClaus: [[spoiler: Is actually a evil HumanoidAbomination!]]
141	* {{Satan}}: Well, he prefers to be called "Logan" these days.
142	* SenselessSacrifice: [[spoiler: Agent Kathrine]] and [[spoiler: Ryuk]] make a last ditch attack on [[spoiler: Logan]], and are promptly destroyed.
143	* SpinOff: The series is spun from 'Byron's Tale', an episode of the Darker Projects' series "Night Terrors".
144	* SealedEvilInACan: Comes in a variety of flavors. They inevitably escape.
145	** Fallen Seraphim [[spoiler: and Leviathan]] are imprisoned in a dimension called the Labyrinth [[spoiler: until Logan releases them]].
146	** A demonic mist [[spoiler: created by Byron]] that can [[DemonicPossession possess]] victims and turn them into serial killers is sealed in a bronze box created by Tibetan monks.
147	** Nicholas [[spoiler: aka SantaClaus]] is imprisoned and let out once a year [[spoiler: and forced to deliver presents to children]].
148	** Byron himself from time to time, courtesy of both [[spoiler: Dracula]] and the Vatican.
149	** Byron keeps some himself, including [[spoiler: Lilith]] and [[spoiler: a race of super zombies he created]].
150	* ShoutOut: Too many to count. Apparently, not only is ''The Byron Chronicles'' in the same universe as every other podcast from Darker Projects, but multiple fictional universes as well.
151	** In the very first episode, 'The Taint', which deals with Zombies, Byron says, "You wouldn't want another of those nights from '68 happening again, would you?" ''[[Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968 Night of the Living Dead]]'' was released in 1968.
152	** Byron once quipped that "[[Franchise/HarryPotter Harry's]] quite a nice fellow. Pity about that Voldemort business."
153	** Prime Minister [[Series/DoctorWho Saxon]] was responsible for almost destroying the Earth with angry fallen angels.
154	** Chris met a coven of [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga animal-feeding vampires]] who live in Washington.
155	** The government organization mentioned that they were concerned about a vampire in UsefulNotes/NewOrleans named "[[Literature/TheVampireChronicles Lestag]]" who was publishing his memoirs.
156	** Berry the Cat references a TV show about [[JustForFun/InspectorSpacetime a guy who travels in a red telephone box]].
157	** When discussing the threat of the Leviathan, a cabal of immortals using that same name is mentioned, as well as a covert agency named "Black Door".
158	** In The Leviathan Chronicles podcast, one immortal makes mention of having received a gift from an old friend named "Byron."
159	** In the first episode of season 5, Agent Kathrine's mission is to go to Portland, Oregon. She then asks, "Isn't that where they film that 'Grimm' TV show?"
160	* TailorMadePrison: Byron has the half-demon/god, Lilith, trapped in a magical cage in his house.
161	* TallDarkAndSnarky: Byron. He especially has a habit of interrupting villainous monologues with sarcasm.
162	* TownWithADarkSecret: Blackthorn, Vermont, where everyone went crazy.
163	* UnwittingPawn: Everyone in the series [[spoiler: to Logan]].
164	** Everyone to Leviathan.
165	** Byron to Leviathan in "In Fire".
166	* UrbanFantasy
167	* VerbalTic: "Oh, kittens!"
168	* WeakenedByTheLight: Chris's reaction when she's affected by Rush.
169	** Sunlight can also burn the vampire venom out of someone, causing death or healing them if they haven't fully transformed.
170	* WhamEpisode: The last episode of season 2, ending in [[spoiler: Chris's death]]. Also "All Things Face an Ending" which resulted in [[spoiler:the destruction of the world by Lucifer]].
171	* WomanChild: Byron's sister Zoe is about as old as he is, but acts very much like a child... and a CheerfulChild at that. As Byron notes, though, this does not mean she should be underestimated.
172	* TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed
173	* ZombieApocalypse: Seems to happen with alarming frequency. Byron even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it.
174	* ZombieInfectee: [[spoiler: Agent Kathrine, Cullen Tate]].

Context Podcast / TheByronChronicles