Dice Tower Theatre: Dawn of Dragons

Produced by Mike Atchley and Good Ham Productions

Show facts 

• Episode count: 50 (as of Aug 2022)
• Episode length: 20-30 minutes average
• Genre: Heroic Fantasy
• Clean? Yes
• Scripted? Yes
• Content Warnings: Fantasy Violence, Loss of Loved Ones, Death or Dying 
• Other Features: LBGTQ+ characters

LOGLINE:

Young heroes bound in love and kinship are forced on a quest to discover the truth behind the magic of dragons, and seek those that stole it before their world itself is destroyed by the growing power of the Dark Army.

Synopsis

Raised by former knights in hiding, they have grown up taking on different skills, each one unique and valuable to each other.  Not only bonded by use of magic or mastery of a sword, they are also tied to a great destiny – a destiny foretold in lost tomes they have yet to discover.  Their world is cloaked in a great shadow that is spreading like a sickness which they seek to overcome.

When their home town of OallEnAkhan is destroyed, Young Cordelia the fire mage, aspiring knight Benedict, bright-eyed mariner Zorin and the deadly swordmaster Sophie fall under the tutelage of Elloveve Hawklight, a secretive yet legendary elven scout archer.  Destroyed by the local Justice, Lord Pallus (Zorin’s father), his Dark Army grows increasingly more powerful with the addition of a cruel dark cleric serving an evil queen of death along with her legions of dragons. 

Finding themselves a decade older, but escaping the ashes of yet another lost home, they set out to find passage across the great sea to the Ivory Library.  Seeking knowledge within its infinite halls guarded by the ancient order of Stone Monks, Cordelia finds the answer.  They must find the dragons of virtue and seek their help to turn the tide.  All knowledge has its price though, and Cordelia must pay for it by recording her own story, while reliving the worst night of her life all over again.

This is what takes place in just the first of four seasons (currently) of this clean, family-friendly, fantasy epic.  Originally created simply to record the events of a collaborative roleplaying game, it has now grown to a production including over 80 voice actors, original scoring and sound design by the game master himself,  resulting in 12 hours of quality entertainment.  Many of the echoes of life’s struggles came out organically at the table between the players as friends and were captured in the story.  Those struggles come with lessons, and overall those lessons are to be a better person, both to those around them as well as themselves.  

Press and Awards 

• • NEWS: TFN Audio Debuts Dice Tower Theatre: Dawn of Dragons
  • NEWS: RPG Storytelling: Chat with Mike Atchley of DAWN OF DRAGONS
  • NEWS: Interview | Dice Tower Theatre – Mike Atchley, Joleen Fresquez

Award Winner (14)

• 2022 NJ WebFest (USA) WINNER: Outstanding Fantasy in Narrative Fiction Podcast

• 2022 LA WebFest (USA) WINNER: Best Sci-Fi Fantasy Podcast

• 2022 Beyond the Curve WebFest (Paris,France) WINNER Best Audio Drama

• 2022 4th Dimension Independent Film Festival (Bali) WINNER Best Audio Drama

• 2022 Swedish International Film Festival WINNER Best Podcast

• 2022 Asia Web Awards – WINNER Best Podcast

• 2023 Baltimore Web Fest – WINNER Best Fantasy Audio Director – Mike Atchley
• 2023 Baltimore Web Fest – WINNER Best Fantasy Audio Fiction
• 2023 Baltimore Web Fest – WINNER Best Sound Design in an Audio Fiction
• 2023 SENSEI Tokyo Filmfest – WINNER Best Podcast
• 2023 Film Revolution Montreal Fest – WINNER Best Podcast
• 2023 Cinesis Independent FilmFest – WINNER Best Podcast
• 2023 Climax Madrid FilmFest – WINNER Best Podcast 
• 2023 Venus Community Awards (Turkey) – WINNER

Award Nominee (26)

• • 2023 NZWebFest Nominee

• Best Sound Design, Best Writing

• • 2023 FilmHaus Berlin (Germany) Nominee

• Best Original Score, Best Sound Design, Best Original Concept, Best Original Podcast

• • 2023 MAGMA (USA) Nominee:

• Best Sound Design, Best Original Score, Best Original Concept, Best Original Podcast

• 2023 Planet Cinema Nominee – Best Original Podcast
• 2022 NJ WebFest (USA) Nominee: 
  • Best Sound Design/Mixing in Narrative Fiction Podcast – Mike Atchley
  • Best Leading Performance in a Narrative Fiction Podcast – Daphne Bichler as Nightblade
  • Best Supporting Performance in a Narrative Fiction Podcast – Jesse Jerdak as Erebus Shieldheart
  • Best Family Friendly in Narrative Fiction Podcast
  • Best Cover Art in Narrative Fiction Podcast – LittleBird
• 2022 Miami (USA)WebFest Nominee: Podcast – Writing
• 2022 Minnesota (USA) WebFest Nominee: Best Fantasy in Narrative Fiction Podcast
• 2022 Apulia WebFest (Italy) Official Selection Best Audio Drama
• 2022 Season 4 Echonation (Scotland) – Finalist Best Narrative Audio Story
• 2022 Semi-Finalist LA Sci-Fi & Horror Film Fest (USA) – Best Podcast 
• 2023 SENSEI Tokyo Filmfest Nominee – Best Original Score
• 2023 Official Selection – Seoul Webfest (South Korea)
• 2022 Official Selection – Sydney Web Fest (Australia)
• 2022 and 2019 The Audio Verse Awards Nominee