The Madness of Chartrulean · Packhowl Media

The Broken Prince | S1.E10

November 17, 2022·45 min·3 clips

Chartrulean stands before a statue of himself labeled 'abomination' in the Jardicae temple and reflects that he chose to become something inhuman because it was the only way to stop feeling pain — but also lost the ability to appreciate beauty.

1. 'The Broken Prince,' episode 10 of season 1 of 'The Madness of Chartrulean,' advances three parallel political and supernatural storylines in a richly built fantasy world. 2. The episode is created by H.M. Radcliffe, narrated by Michael De La Mancha, with original music by Sean Renner and the Invoke String Quartet. 3. The episode opens with a tense family dinner where the king, Fressy, and Imsep navigate veiled political tensions including the fate of Imsep's imprisoned friend Josquin and a mysterious brooch Fressy gave to Chartrulean. 4. A guardian named Loan — described as barely human, non-speaking, and wolf-like — accompanies Fressy while Imsep's guardian Sothalia stands watch, provoking sibling squabbling about the unfairness of their respective guardians. 5. After dinner, a young boy cuts violets in the Astraeus gardens; a drop of his blood writhes on a stone and turns black, a supernatural omen that goes unnoticed by the boy. 6. Chartrulean, waking alone in darkness to the scent of blood, sees a monstrous four-eyed wolf with void tendrils in a nightmare or waking vision — a creature that speaks to him as Jardakai, warning: 'You are powerless to stop me, Etruvian.' 7. He then sneaks out of Astraeus in a dark gray shawl, crossing into the Jardakai temple complex, which he had expected would repel him but which lets him pass unchallenged. 8. Inside Jardicae's prayer chamber, Chartrulean reflects on being raised as a 'motherless child' in turquoise fluid in the vaults of Bethama, called a messiah by the Jardicoe Order, and choosing to become an 'abomination' to escape pain. 9. He finds a statue of himself in the temple gallery with 'abomination' still partially legible on its forehead, and reflects that this man 'looks so confident' and that he would trust such a person — a figure he no longer recognizes as himself. 10. The archivist Magagost greets him, noting that many in the temple would not welcome Chartrulean, and explains that the archives have been 'heavily edited' under unprecedented censorship. 11. Magagost runs the brooch through an archive computer and identifies traces of ancient Jardesra bloodlines, specifically linking it to a woman named Ona — a descendant once believed to be a potential Etruvian candidate who died suddenly. 12. After Ona's death, Maldoro controversially had her body taken to Thema labs over the furious objections of King Starbringer, suggesting she was being studied or exploited after death. 13. Magagost implies the princess may carry similar extraordinary traits to her mother Ona, warning Chartrulean: 'If the princess is even half the woman her mother was, you're in for a wild ride.' 14. As they leave, Maldoro observes Chartrulean from a high balcony, identifying him by his distinctive walking gait, and resolves to 'bring his crimes against the Order into the spotlight.' 15. In a parallel plot, Prince Imsep visits a speakeasy and meets rebel leader Abrisset, reporting that the king is pushing for Fressy to marry a shipbuilder he just commissioned, with no intention of releasing Josquin. 16. Abrisset tasks Imsep with approaching Maldoro to form an alliance, instructing him to use insider knowledge about Chartrulean to provoke Maldoro's hostility toward the Starbringer family as leverage. 17. In the speakeasy's back alley, Abrisset's network is distributing food and medicine to civilians — elderly, women, and children — suggesting a genuine political resistance beneath the conspiratorial plotting. 18. A supernatural entity communicating with a shadowy figure references 'Seymour adjusting to a new host' and plans to use Maldoro's hatred to force a decision, noting Chartrulean's temple visit as an opportunity. 19. The episode's tone alternates between intimate character reflection — particularly Chartrulean's extended temple meditation — and tense political maneuvering, with an atmospheric sound design using wind, salt, and void imagery. 20. Fantasy audio drama fans who enjoy complex worldbuilding, morally ambiguous characters, and multi-faction political intrigue will find this episode rewarding, though new listeners will require background on the established world.

As heard by us

A formal sci-fi tragedy where ritual detail and memory turn a boy's transformation into something unsettling.

The Broken Prince leans on azurium, statues, and Chartrullian's memory of being changed as a boy, and it keeps those pieces in view without overexplaining them.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a broken prince, ancestral memory, and ancient power in one chamber, start here.

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