Come demo a game of Purgatory, and try a new dice system in the Weird West genre. Presented by Broomstick Fighters Purgatory, the newly funded role playing game, is set in a Mythos based Weird West genre. We will be running demos and have demo copies of the core book for viewing. Come try a new dice […]
Moderated by Leanna Renee Hieber. Symposium Author-in-Residence Leanna Renee Hieber leads an engaging discussion with fellow writers about keeping the spark and love of the craft alive no matter the challenges in the industry or in one’s own process. Attendees welcome to ask questions and seek publishing advice. Leanna Renee Hieber is an actress, playwright […]
Investigate the weird of a frontier town in the savage world of Deadlands. Games Master - Zach Icardi. It’s been along month chasing monsters through the Arizona desert, the rations are empty and water skins dry, it’s time to go home. Luckily you and the team stumble into a little frontier town. But things are […]
Former Kenner toy maker teaches how to build realistic ray guns and accessories from thrift-store metal parts. Presented by Larry Brown. Tired of plastic? Learn to build very realistic (and scary) weapons of all types, including handguns, wrist guns, and goggles, using brass and metal parts found in thrift stores, and using simple hand drills […]
A brief history of the Spiritualist movement in America and its importance in women’s rights. Presented by Leanna Renee Hieber. Leanna Renee Hieber, Gothic novelist, actress and NYC Ghost Tour Guide leads a lively discussion about the spirit world’s eternal thrall; a brief history of the Spiritualist movement in America and its importance in the […]
The underwater boat came of age in the 19th Century. Presented by Zebulon Vitruvius Pike. The potential of undersea warships was always understood, but it was during the 19th Century that submersibles came of age. This is the development of submarine warfare and the pioneers that risked everything in the silent world. Zebulon Vitruvius Pike is a […]
The great airship flap of 1897. The work of a hoax or a genius? Presented by Zebulon Vitruvius Pike. On the dark and rainy night of November 17th, 1896, hundreds of witnesses reported a dirigible in the skies above Sacramento. Thus began a series of thousands of sightings over the next six months from the Pacific […]
All about bitters: how to use them, how to make them. Presented by Calamity Labs. Learn all bitters! A little history to clear up the mystery! We’ll talk about why they are a vital tool in the bartenders toolkit. We’ll also cover different ways to make bitters and how to use them. Calamity Labs is a […]
A roundtable presentation of perspectives and stories from the Old West from a diverse group of people in our community. Moderated by Dr. Renea Frey, featuring Saffire Ravenhart, Danny West, Melanie Carlson, and Tea Wispfaerie. While we enjoy the themes and make believe of Symposium, it is still important to realize that the times and places […]
The 19th Century was the golden age of pseudoscience. Or was it? Presented by Zebulon Vitruvius Pike. P.T.Barnum was the “Prince of Humbug” but he never once claimed that the lies he was presenting were anything other than pure entertainment. Plenty of other people, however, were not so reputable and the hoaxes they promulgated continue to […]
Wild west women sharpshooters, gunslingers, spies, prostitutes, stagecoach robbers, authors, and more! Presented by Dr. Renea Frey Women in the 19th century American west, while still constrained by the conventions of the time, had relatively more freedom to transgress norms in the “wide open spaces” of uncharted territory. Some women became sharpshooters, gunslingers, spies, prostitutes, or […]
Troupe Roja returns to the Symposium for 2019! Troupe Roja is Dayton’s only professional multi-award winning Middle Eastern dance troupe that performs styles ranging from folkloric to fusion. Lead by Director Zattana Al-Naseem, the troupe performs at many events all over the Miami Valley area and beyond. They are an innovative troupe known for their […]