Dark Cosmos: A Scum and Villainy Actual Play

Welcome to Dark Cosmos, a sci-fi tabletop RPG actual play podcast powered by the Scum and Villainy system! Join the Placeholder NPCs crew as they pilot the Coyfish through the homebrew Aurelia sector. Follow three space-faring scoundrels (a mystical Polar Bear, questionable human medic and an ex-military Avali pilot) as they take on dangerous jobs, dodge the oppressive Concordant, and light the spark of rebellion. Expect high-stakes heists, hilarious shenanigans, and the shackles of past traumas. Tune in for complex character lore, thrilling dice rolls, and adventures among the stars!

Dark Cosmos: A Scum and Villainy Actual Play is a leisure podcast hosted by Placeholder NPCs, with 29 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Placeholder NPCs hosts Dark Cosmos: A Scum and Villainy Actual Play, a leisure show with 29 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #2

  Ep 11x02 Morning's Dew (Terminal Descent) | Dark Cosmos Podcast | A Scum and Villainy Actual Play

  Aug 9, 202639 minS11

  An Australian Scum and Villainy Campaign. A new morning dawns on the planet Ix, but the crew of the Coyfish finds little rest after the recent horror. With the ship's engines killed, gravity offline, and the containment field down, the lingering influence of the precursor artifact continues to cast a long shadow over the crew. In this episode: Medical Repair & Deep Trauma: Algenon helps stitch up Ark’s severe, burn-damaged hands using synthflesh. As they recover, Ark opens up about their lingering nightmares, memory gaps, and fears surrounding the artifact's true reach. Uncomfortable Truths: Ark confronts Algenon on his past decisions and whether he would have taken the Director’s deal—leading to a rare, introspective moment between the two. The Terminal Descent: Captain Fu delivers an unexpected distraction: a flyer for a high-stakes, violent scrappers' derby hosted at the ultra-luxurious Casa Del Ricos at the top of Gimbal. High-Speed Distractions: Eager for an outlet (and maybe some quick cash), Vole and Triv prep to build a jerry-rigged hover-bike and race from the top of the city all the way down into the lava-pits—and back up. Will the crew survive a high-speed descent down Gimbal, or will the looming threat of the artifact catch up to them first? Tune in to find out! ⚡ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and drop a comment below to let us know your favorite moment from the episode! About the Podcast: Dark Cosmos is a deep-space campaign setting using the Scum & Villainy system, following a crew of space faring scoundrels who rebel against controlling factions and face down the traumas of their past. Starring: Dush - Arc Ferris aka "Rook" Sam - Algernon Blue aka "Kentucky" Lex - Voel Burung aka "Demon" Xeno - The Game Moderator "Pew Pew" ----- Placeholder NPCs is a real play podcast by Dush, Lex, Sam and Xeno. Scum & Villainy is a Forged in the Dark game produced by Evil Hat Productions. Character art by Hangdok https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Sound Effects from ZapSplat! https://zapsplat.com https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Background music by Sascha Ende via https://ende.app/ Timestamps (00:00) The Morning After (02:47) Ark and Algernon's Conversation (20:56) The Terminal Descent Proposal (27:48) Prepping for the Scrappers' Derby (38:15) Credits & Outro

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  Episode #3

  Ep 10x03 The Long Way Home (Way Bound) | Dark Cosmos Podcast | A Scum and Villainy Actual Play

  Jul 7, 202629 minS10

  An Australian Scum and Villainy Campaign. The episode follows a desperate struggle for survival against both internal and external threats. Cornered by relentless gelatinous soldiers in the scrap fields, Arc must deploy every ounce of his mechanical cunning to forge a deceptive escape. Out of the scrap fields and straight into the freezer. 🥶 How do you think Arc is going to handle waking up on this new ship? Tell us how you would have done in the comments! 👇 About the Podcast: Dark Cosmos is a deep-space campaign setting using the Scum & Villainy system, following a crew of space faring scoundrels who rebel against controlling factions and face down the traumas of their past. Starring: Dush - Arc Ferris aka "Rook" Sam - Algernon Blue aka "Kentucky" Lex - Voel Burung aka "Demon" Xeno - The Game Moderator "Pew Pew" ----- Placeholder NPCs is a real play podcast by Dush, Lex, Sam and Xeno. Scum & Villainy is a Forged in the Dark game produced by Evil Hat Productions. Character art by Hangdok https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Sound Effects from ZapSplat! https://zapsplat.com https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Background music by Fesliyan Studios via https://www.FesliyanStudios.com and Sascha Ende via https://ende.app/ Timestamps (00:00) Previously on Dark Cosmos (01:05) Cornered in the Scrap Fields (05:40) The Decoy Gambit (12:30) Cast Into the Void (21:00) One Final Roll: The SOS Signal (26:05) Diagnostic Boot Sequence (28:05) The Land of the Living (29:15) Outro & Credits

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #2

  Ep 10x02 No Place For Your Kind (Way Bound) | Dark Cosmos Podcast | A Scum and Villainy Actual Play

  Jun 30, 202635 minS10

  An Australian Scum and Villainy Campaign. The episode follows a desperate struggle for survival against both internal and external threats. With the village under siege and the environment collapsing around them, Ark must push his kinetic abilities to the limit to lead Marlene and the children to safety. Just as the dust begins to settle, a mysterious new force arrives from the skies, revealing that Ark's past is much more dangerous than anyone realized. In a world as harsh as the scrap fields, would you trust a stranger like Ark, or would you side with the safety of the village? Tell us which side you'd be on, in the comments! 👇 About the Podcast: Dark Cosmos is a deep-space campaign setting using the Scum & Villainy system, following a crew of space faring scoundrels who rebel against controlling factions and face down the traumas of their past. Starring: Dush - Arc Ferris aka "Rook" Sam - Algernon Blue aka "Kentucky" Lex - Voel Burung aka "Demon" Xeno - The Game Moderator "Pew Pew" ----- Placeholder NPCs is a real play podcast by Dush, Lex, Sam and Xeno. Scum & Villainy is a Forged in the Dark game produced by Evil Hat Productions. Character art by Hangdok https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Sound Effects from ZapSplat! https://zapsplat.com https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Background music by Fesliyan Studios via https://www.FesliyanStudios.com and Sascha Ende via https://ende.app/ Timestamps (00:00) Previously on Dark Cosmos (01:09) Ducking and Weaving Through the Village (02:22) Safe at Home? (04:08) The Mob Gathers (05:22) The Great Betrayal (An Act for Marlene) (08:20) Confronting the Angry Villagers (11:37) Shrew's Warning: The Foreigners Arrive (13:28) The Hostage Performance (14:15) Kinetic Propulsion: The Escape (18:04) Hellfire Rains Down (19:53) The House Collapses (21:30) Scrambling for the Roof (25:55) One Final Leap (The Kinetic Yeet) (32:53) Landing in the Thorns (33:42) Romeo Zero Zero Kilo: Identify Yourself (34:45) Outro & Credits

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #1

  Ep 10x01 A World of Scrap (Way Bound) | Dark Cosmos Podcast | A Scum and Villainy Actual Play

  Jun 23, 202648 minS10

  An Australian Scum and Villainy Campaign. In this prequel episode of the Dark Cosmos saga, we travel back to the Aurelia star sector to witness the moment Arc's true purpose was first triggered. Living as a humble scrap farmer, Arc's survival is threatened not just by the harsh environment, but by the encroaching automation of the Matron's Engineering Guild. When a routine scavenge unearths a mysterious precursor artifact, Arc's synthetic nature is finally revealed, changing his destiny forever. The Matron's Engineering Guild seems to be everywhere. Do you think they created Arc as a tool, or did they find him? Drop your theories on Arc's origins below! 👇 About the Podcast: Dark Cosmos is a deep-space campaign setting using the Scum & Villainy system, following a crew of space faring scoundrels who rebel against controlling factions and face down the traumas of their past. Staring: Dush - Arc Ferris aka "Rook" Sam - Algernon Blue aka "Kentucky" Lex - Voel Burung aka "Demon" Xeno - The Game Moderator "Pew Pew" ----- Placeholder NPCs is a real play podcast by Dush, Lex, Sam and Xeno. Scum & Villainy is a Forged in the Dark game produced by Evil Hat Productions. Character art by Hangdok https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Sound Effects from ZapSplat! https://zapsplat.com https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Background music by Fesliyan Studios via https://www.FesliyanStudios.com and Sascha Ende via https://ende.app/ Timestamps (00:00) Previously on Dark Cosmos (01:10) Arrival at the Scrap Planet (02:45) A Day in the Scrap Fields (06:45) The Incident: Arc's Secret Revealed (11:30) The Rising Threat of MEG Automation (13:55) Cashing In: The Reality of Scrap Farming (20:00) The Ramshackle Streets (23:10) Home Life: Marlene and the Feisty Awa (27:50) The Rooftop View: Shrew's Telescope (32:35) The Signal: A New Calling in the Debris (36:20) Discovery of the Obsidian Cube (37:05) Confrontation: "Your Kind Isn’t Welcome" (41:45) The Truth: Built for a Purpose (47:10) Outro & Credits

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  Episode #7

  Ep 9x07 Everything, Everytime, All At Once (Secrets Laid Bear) | Dark Cosmos Podcast | A Scum and Villainy Actual Play

  Jun 9, 202638 minS9

  An Australian Scum and Villainy Campaign. While Ark struggles to hide the physical toll of their recent revelation, Algernon is forced to awaken the ghost of his past. Returning a prisoner to the city was supposed to be a simple act of closure, but seeing what was left behind reveals a cost that Algenon might never be able to pay back. Meanwhile, a mysterious connection through the Way reveals a terrifying truth: the artifact they are carrying is a piece to something much bigger. Do you think Algernon did the right thing by bringing Alburn home? Let us know if you think Algernon is actually seeking redemption or if he's seeking to justifying his past. About the Podcast: Dark Cosmos is a deep-space campaign setting using the Scum & Villainy system, following a crew of space faring scoundrels who rebel against controlling factions and face down the traumas of their past. Staring: Dush - Arc Ferris aka "Rook" Sam - Algernon Blue aka "Kentucky" Lex - Voel Burung aka "Demon" Xeno - The Game Moderator "Pew Pew" ----- Placeholder NPCs is a real play podcast by Dush, Lex, Sam and Xeno. Scum & Villainy is a Forged in the Dark game produced by Evil Hat Productions. Character art by Hangdok https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Sound Effects from ZapSplat! https://zapsplat.com https://facebook.com/hangdok/ Background music by Fesliyan Studios via https://www.FesliyanStudios.com and Sascha Ende via https://ende.app/ Timestamps (00:00) Arriving in Style: The Hover-Limo Escape (05:54) Ship Renovations: Elder Kxal's New Pantry (07:05) Open Air Markets & Future Plans (11:33) Premium Snacks: A Bag of Bugs for Voel (13:33) Regrouping at the Coyfish (14:41) Ark's Vision: The Way and the Lost Souls (17:09) Attuning to the Way: Everywhere, Everytime, All At Once (22:33) Reality Snaps Back (24:41) Algernon's Mission: Returning a Prisoner(29:26) A Heavy Reunion: Alburn's Home (32:12) The Cost of the Past: A Bitter Confrontation (36:18) Walking Into the Rain (37:11) Credits and Outro

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