Before the sun reaches Mourning Veil, Danny Rose and Esmeralda Wisteria uncover a thread of history the valley would rather forget.
What begins as a simple inquiry into a violent attack widens into something older and unnervingly precise: a decades-long record of terror attributed to the Painted Suns — all transcribed by the same, nameless hand.
And every clue hints that the Painted Suns were never as scattered or chaotic as their legend suggests.

Esmeralda presses Danny for truths he can no longer outrun, while Arch Magus Yorun offers his own grim warnings from Mourning Veil’s buried archives. As the investigation deepens, the forest surrounding the Vale grows colder, quieter, too watchful to be called natural. What was once routine fieldwork turns tense, as if the ground beneath their feet remembers something they do not.

High above the Rift, Captain Marta Rose and Whispersteel detect a sudden fracture in the Verdant Frequency — a sign that whatever Danny and Esmeralda have walked into is shifting from the uncertain to the dangerous. By the time the Whisperwind pivots toward Harbortown, the forest has already begun to close around the investigators.

This chapter marks the descent — where questions sharpen, patterns darken, and the path Danny and Esmeralda follow begins to take shape beneath an unseen hand.

Tone: atmospheric · investigative noir · supernatural tension
Themes: buried histories · unseen orchestration · identity under strain
Continuity: A direct continuation of Names That Burn, Part I, bridging into the revelations of Part III.

This episode contains:

• Noir-style supernatural tension

• Identity strain and psychological unease

• Depictions of danger, distress, and intense atmosphere

• Elements of spiritual and investigative horror

Recommended for mature listeners (16+). Listener discretion advised.

This episode of Way of the Jaded Fist combines real voice performances with ethically sourced, licensed text-to-speech voices. Voice actors were paid for their work.

Written & Produced by Desmond Childs
Featuring the voices of Danny Rose, Esmeralda Wisteria, Captain Marta, Kai-Lung, and others.
Sound Design & Mix: Desmond Childs

Opening Theme by: Fictional J-Rock band, Black Mamba

Closing Theme by: Fictional band, Glasshouse Mirage

A Tales of the Rift story from Way of the Jaded Fist.

Show Page:

jadedfistdrama.wordpress.com

Releasing January 12th, 2026

A cold wind moves through Mourning Veil as Danny and Esmeralda uncover the first cracks in a seventy-year mystery. What begins as a simple investigation spirals into something older, darker, and far more personal than either of them expected. Tension rises, secrets surface, and the truth waiting in the archives threatens to pull the Verdant Path apart at the seams. This chapter sharpens every thread from earlier in the season — and sets the stage for what neither of them can outrun.

A name was offered.
A debt was incurred.

As the Rift darkens, an old pact begins to stir—and the cost of survival comes due.
Way of the Jaded Fist returns January 12th.

(Featuring music from The Rift's fictional band, Cotton Candy Cottage)

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.

Like+Share+Subscribe+Comment

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!