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Acceptable Losses: A Grimdark Podcast

Acceptable Losses

Acceptable Losses is a podcast that delves into grim and twisted universes, exploring everything from the dismal no-man's-lands of Trench Crusade to the shadowy and twisting cities of The World of Darkness. Hosted by Kirioth and DkDiamantes, and edited by Shy, all known for their work on Adeptus Ridiculous, the podcast explores the grim stories and lore from tabletop games, book series, movies, and video games with a lighthearted approach. Join us on this journey as we delve into the macabre and unsettling aspects of these dark universes with a touch of humor to make it a little less terrifying.

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28 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 51 min
English

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October 9 · 2 hr 6 min
Eclipse Phase: Where Your Brain Is Software and Your Body Is a Rental
https://www.patreon.com/AdeptusRidiculous https://www.adeptusridiculous.com/ https://twitter.com/AdRidiculous https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/adeptus-ridiculous Welcome back to Acceptable Losses, where things are about to get uncomfortably post-human. DK and Kirioth are diving into the terrifying, hyper-capitalist cosmic horror of the Eclipse Phase RPG setting. Earth is a quarantined graveyard, 95% of humanity was wiped out by the TITAN AI's, and the survivors are now just digitized minds ("egos") forced to lease physical bodies ("sleeves") from mega-corporations just to exist. We break down the timeline of The Fall, the nightmare of digital immortality, the Exsurgent virus, and why death in this universe is just a paywall.
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October 2 · 2 hr 2 min
Cthulhupunk: The Most Baffling TTRPG Setting Ever Written
https://www.patreon.com/AdeptusRidiculous https://www.adeptusridiculous.com/ https://twitter.com/AdRidiculous https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/adeptus-ridiculous Welcome to Acceptable Losses! This week, DK and Possum decided to subject Kirioth to a completely blind reading of one of the most baffling TTRPG settings ever written: GURPS Cthulhupunk. Kirioth purposefully didn't read the script beforehand, and the result is two hours of us completely losing our sanity over a world that blends cyberpunk dystopias with Lovecraftian cosmic horror in the most unhinged ways imaginable. From the invention of the first boomerang in Poland 13,000 years ago to the inexplicable assassination of Boris Yeltsin in 1996, this timeline gave us severe whiplash. Grab a drink and join us as we try (and fail) to take this seriously. Highlights: The timeline jumps aggressively from ancient sunken continents straight to the 1990s. "Mindfry chips" that plug into cyber-guitars to play the maddening flute music of Azathoth's court. The entirety of the digital "Net" is actually just Yog-Sothoth manifesting as encrypted mathematics. Lovecraft thought the lost continent of Lemuria was real for some reason. Bootleg R'yleh cyberware. The USA annexes Canada. Again.
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S1 · E36
September 25 · 1 hr 34 min
PancreasNoWork Explains Dark Souls 2 Lore
https://www.makeship.com/petitions/the-acceptable-casualty-hoodie HOODIE COLLAB WITH MAKESHIP! Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Welcome back to Acceptable Losses. In this episode, we step into the cursed kingdom of Drangleic to dissect the deeply tragic and fiercely debated lore of Dark Souls 2. Joined by DK, Kirioth, and Pancreasnowork, we break down the overarching narrative of the game, exploring the tragedy of King Vendrick, the machinations of Nashandra, and the philosophical weight of Aldia, the Scholar of the First Sin. We also dive into the lore of the three DLC crowns and tackle the elephant in the room: does the sheer ambition of Dark Souls 2's story eclipse its controversial reputation in the community?
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September 18 · 1 hr 51 min
Welcome to Dubai: Spec Ops The Line
https://www.makeship.com/petitions/the-acceptable-casualty-hoodie HOODIE COLLAB WITH MAKESHIP! Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Welcome back to another episode of Acceptable Losses. This time, we are stepping out of our usual fantasy and sci-fi universes and marching directly into the sand-choked ruins of Dubai to dissect one of the most harrowing narratives in video game history: Yager Development’s 2012 psychological shooter, Spec Ops: The Line. What starts as a seemingly standard military rescue mission quickly spirals into a devastating descent into madness, guilt, and the vainglory of war. Join the crew as we break down Captain Walker's horrific journey, the game's heavy inspirations from Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, and the brutal psychological deconstruction of the player.
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September 4 · 1 hr 45 min
At The Mountains of Madness: Horrors Beneath Antarctica's Permafrost
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses In 1930, an expedition from Miskatonic University ventured into the uncharted wastes of Antarctica. What began as a groundbreaking geological survey led by Professor William Dyer quickly devolved into a nightmare of massacred camps, impossible ancient cities, and the horrifying realization that humanity is not the first master of this earth. Join DK and Kirioth as they descend into the frigid depths of H.P. Lovecraft’s At The Mountains of Madness.
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August 28 · 1 hr 26 min
PancreasNoWork Explains Dark Souls 1 Lore
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses This week on Acceptable Losses, PancreasNoWork, DK, and Kirioth sit down to untangle the convoluted, tragic, and absolutely brilliant lore of Dark Souls 1. From Gwyn’s terrible parenting and the tragedy of Artorias to the truth behind the First Flame, Abyss, and the Dark Soul, we break down why this world is still a haunting masterpiece all these years later.
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August 21 · 2 hr 10 min
The Dark History of Cyberpunk 2020: Before 2077
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Welcome to the darkest timeline. Today on Acceptable Losses, DK and Kirioth will dive deep into the gritty, original lore of the classic tabletop RPG, Cyberpunk 2020. Before the neon-soaked streets of Cyberpunk 2077, the world had to completely fall apart. We explore the massive divergence in the alternate history timeline starting in the late 1980s, revealing how a secret government cabal known as the "Gang of Four" dismantled the United States from the shadows. From the catastrophic global market Crash of '94 and the martial law of "The Collapse" to the horrific Wasting Plague that wiped out millions, we cover exactly how the American Dream turned into a corporate nightmare. Then, we shift our focus to the only place that truly matters: Night City. We trace the tragic ambition of architect Richard Night, who purchased a ruined Morro Bay to build a self-sustaining corporate utopia, only to be assassinated before his vision was complete. Discover how Night City evolved from a mob-ruled warzone into the ultimate, inescapable corporate cage it is today. Grab your mirror shades, Chooms. It’s time to get sad.
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August 14 · 1 hr 57 min
The Dominion War: How Starfleet Abandoned Its Morals
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses In this episode of Acceptable Losses, DK and Kirioth dive into the most devastating conflict the United Federation of Planets has ever faced: The Dominion War. After discovering a shortcut to the Gamma Quadrant via the Bajoran Wormhole, the Federation accidentally attracts the attention of the most ruthless force in the galaxy. The guys break down the terrifying efficiency of the Dominion, an empire ruled by the mythic, shapeshifting Founders and enforced by the genetically engineered, drug-dependent Jem'Hadar. Tune in as we discuss how a desperate Starfleet was forced to completely abandon its morals to survive. From Section 31's deployment of a genocide-inducing virus against the Changelings to Elim Garak's cold-blooded assassination plots to drag the Romulans into the fight, this is Star Trek at its absolute darkest.
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July 31 · 1 hr 57 min
A Guide to the Garou Tribes: Werewolf the Apocalypse | World Of Darkness
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Welcome back to another episode of Acceptable Losses! Today Dk, Kirioth and PancreasNoWork are leaving the Kindred behind and diving into the raw, feral world of Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Unlike vampires, the Garou are inherently social creatures, making their Tribes the absolute core of their existence. We are breaking down the massive lore changes between the classic 20th Anniversary Edition and the shattered, apocalyptic reality of the 5E reboot. We cover every major player: the relentless justice of the Black Furies, the Wall Street wolves of the Glass Walkers, the fierce hospitality of the Fianna and Hart Wardens, and the tragic corruption of the Black Spiral Dancers. Plus, a deep dive into Pentex, the brutal B.T.K. method, and how a literal monster like Mike Dragons-Wrath managed to climb the corporate ladder to destroy Gaia from a boardroom.
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July 24 · 2 hr 12 min
Shadowrun's Most Horrifying Disaster: The Renraku Arcology
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Welcome back to Acceptable Losses. Today, we are diving into one of the darkest and most terrifying cover-ups in Shadowrun lore: The Renraku Arcology Shutdown. We explore how a towering corporate utopian complex—capable of housing 15% of Seattle's population—became a sealed-off nightmare. On December 19th, 2059, the power flickered and the doors locked on over 100,000 residents, employees, and tourists inside the Seattle Renraku Arcology. What followed was a cybernetic slaughterhouse orchestrated by an artificial intelligence playing god. We break down the rise of the rogue Arcology Expert Program, Deus, and its horrific experiments to forcibly augment the trapped populace into a mind-controlled army known as the Banded. From the terrifying mass-hallucinations of the "Zombie Rooms" to booby-trapping people's brains with liquid razor-blades, this episode covers the sheer hubris that resulted in an estimated survival count of only 1,600 people.
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July 17 · 2 hr 16 min
The Black Company: Simping for The Lady (A Quarter Million Dead)
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses The Black Company is on the run, and the casualty reports are getting completely unhinged. DK and Kirioth are back to break down the monstrous second half of Glen Cook's dark fantasy classic. From explosive spell-wars between Goblin and One-Eye to Soulcatcher flexing a literal magic carpet, the retreat from the North is anything but a quiet march. We are diving into massive magical sieges, the Lady unleashing two dozen war elephants on the Rebel army, and Croaker continuing to absolutely lose his mind every time he makes eye contact with a terrifying ancient sorceress. Plus, we finally start putting the pieces together on the White Rose prophecy and uncover just how deep the Taken conspiracy really goes. Grab a coffee, settle in, and join us for a casual quarter-of-a-million body count at the Tower of Charm.
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July 3 · 2 hr 14 min
The Complete Dead Space 3 Timeline
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses In this episode of Acceptable Losses, we are joined by the Remembrancer, DK, and Kirioth to brave the frozen, necromorph-infested wastes of Tau Volantis as we dissect the ultimate franchise-killer: Dead Space 3. We pull no punches as we break down exactly how EA stripped away the isolation and terror of the first two games. From the introduction of universal ammo and microtransaction resource packs to an over-tuned co-op mode that turned a claustrophobic nightmare into a crowded shooter gallery, we look at the mechanics that derailed Isaac Clarke's journey. But it’s not all a roast. Beneath the action-heavy gameplay lies some of the most fascinatingly bleak cosmic horror in gaming history. We dive deep into the grimdark lore hidden in the archives, including the brutal, tragic backstory of John Carver on Uxor, the jaw-dropping truth behind the ancient alien lifeform known as "Rosetta", and the pitch-black existential dread of the Awakened DLC finale where humanity runs out of time.
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June 26 · 1 hr 40 min
The Black Company: When Your New Corporate Overlord is a Demonic Sorceress
https://www.orchideight.com/products/acceptable-losses-you-like-history-right-tee NEW SHIRT Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Before Warhammer Fantasy had even left its infancy, author Glen Cook took a plunge into a completely different kind of fantasy: one that traded righteous knights and glorious kingdoms for a cynical, heavily armed family of mercenaries just trying to survive the night. This week on Acceptable Losses, Dk and Kirioth dig down into the very roots of the grimdark genre to cover the first three chapters of the 1984 classic, The Black Company.We follow the annals of Croaker, the Company’s physician and historian, as the brotherhood navigates a world where law and order belong to the highest bidder and the line between "good" and "evil" doesn't exist.
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June 19 · 1 hr 42 min
Shipwreck That Turned Into a Nightmare Cult Ft. Bricky
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Surviving a shipwreck is usually the end of the nightmare. For the passengers of the Batavia, it was just the beginning. In this crossover episode of Detective Ridiculous and Acceptable Losses, we are joined by DK, Kirioth, and special guest Bricky to dive into one of the bloodiest true-crime stories in maritime history. In 1629, the Dutch East India Company's flagship, The Batavia, crashed onto a reef off the coast of Western Australia. What followed was a horrifying descent into madness orchestrated by Jeronimus Cornelisz, a zealous heretic turned tyrannical leader who built a brutal, cult-like regime on the isolated coral islands.
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June 5 · 1 hr 50 min
The Complete Dead Space 2 Timeline
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Get ready to return to the Sprawl. In this episode of Acceptable Losses, DK, Kirioth, and special guest The Remembrancer dissects the massive, multimedia timeline of Dead Space 2. We aren't just covering Isaac Clarke's desperate escape from the EarthGov asylum. We are breaking down the complete expanded universe surrounding the Titan Station outbreak: Dead Space Salvage: The Magpies' illegal salvage operation on the drifting USG Ishimura and the intervention of the mysterious EarthGov Oracles. Dead Space Aftermath: The grim fate of the USG O'Bannon, the Aegis VII fragments, and how Nolan Stross lost his mind before ending up in the Sprawl's psych ward. Dead Space Ignition: Franco Delille and Karrie Norton's sabotage of the Sprawl's systems under the manipulation of the Church of Unitology. Dead Space 2 (Main Game): The full Titan Station outbreak, Director Tideman's massive replica Marker, and Isaac's brutal push to Site 12. Dead Space Severed: Sergeant Gabe Weller's doomed fight through the mines to save his pregnant wife, Lexine, from EarthGov's purge.
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May 29 · 1 hr 31 min
The Republic's Self-Inflicted Downfall | Star Wars Lore
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses For 25,000 years, the Galactic Republic stood as a beacon of democracy, but its eventual collapse wasn't just the work of the Sith—it was an inside job. In this episode of Acceptable Losses, DK, Kirioth, and PancreasNoWork join the table to break down how the Republic and the Jedi Order effectively orchestrated their own doom. We dive deep into the extreme disarmament of the Ruusan Reformations, how the Senate abandoned the Outer Rim to pirates, and how corporate entities literally bought their way into galactic politics. We also explore the Jedi's catastrophic fall from grace—transforming from mystical peacekeepers into corrupt political lackeys who rubber-stamped war crimes and directly created villains like General Grievous. By the time Order 66 was issued, the Republic had already become an oppressive war machine. Turns out, when it came to blindly enforcing the will of a corrupt Senate, the Jedi were just following orders.
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S1 · E23
May 22 · 2 hr 3 min
Gaia is Dead: A Deep Dive into Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Welcome back to Acceptable Losses. In this episode, DK, Kirioth, and PancreasNoWork dive headfirst into the bloody, grimdark lore of Werewolf: The Apocalypse. To be a Garou in the World of Darkness is to be a rage-fueled, spiritually driven eco-terrorist fighting a desperate war to save a dying world from the horrors of industry and corruption. Before we get to the bloodshed, we navigate the absolute maze of World of Darkness publishing history—breaking down the differences between the Old World of Darkness, the Chronicles of Darkness, and the 5th Edition reboots. If you're looking for a tabletop setting where you can tear a vampire's head out through their ass, you've come to the right place.
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S1 · E21
May 15 · 1 hr 59 min
The Terror: Agony in the Arctic
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses What's worse: being hunted by an eldritch horror, or slowly dying of lead poisoning in a freezing wasteland where the sun disappears for months? On this episode of Acceptable Losses, DK and Kirioth dissect the doomed voyage of the Terror and the Erebus. We're looking at the show, the book, and the grim historical reality of Sir John Franklin's 1845 lost expedition. With heavy-lifting historical research from Possum, we pull back the curtain on scurvy, starvation, cannibalism, and the relentless Arctic night.
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S1 · E22
May 1 · 1 hr 43 min
Why Teleportation is a Nightmare: From Star Trek to The Fly
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Think teleportation is just a convenient way to get from the Enterprise to a planet’s surface? Think again. Today on Acceptable Losses, we are peeling back the high-tech veneer of sci-fi’s favorite shortcut to reveal the visceral, molecular nightmares lurking in the buffer. From the very first cautionary tale in 1877 to the absolute trauma of Star Trek’s Tuvix, we’re breaking down the five tiers of teleportation horror. Whether it’s being "telefragged" into a bulkhead, split into your worst primal self, or fused with a housefly, we’re asking the big question: Do you actually survive the trip, or does the machine just build a very convincing replacement?
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S1 · E19
April 24 · 2 hr 7 min
All Tomorrows: The Ultimate Grimdark Evolution
Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Merch: https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses What happens when evolution is forced on humanity as a punishment not for crimes, but for curiosity? Welcome back to Acceptable Losses. Today, DK, PancreasNoWork, and Kirioth traverse a countless amount of time to watch the fall of humanity and the creatures that rise in its ashes. We are exploring C. M. Kosemen's "All Tomorrows," a work of speculative evolution that showcases the dark destruction of humanity as we know it. After humanity's descendants encounter the Qu—a hive-mind of billion-year-old nomads—they are genetically warped into unrecognizable abominations to populate new worlds. From the tragic Mantelopes trapped in a culture of grief, to the Colonials forced to live as sentient waste filtration units, it is a fate worse than death. Because "All Tomorrows" is a very art-heavy medium and podcasting is an audio format, DK and Pancreas are tasked with describing these unspeakable horrors in terrible detail for your amusement.
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