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!
Ep 11x03 The Peak of Luxury (Terminal Descent) | Dark Cosmos Podcast | A Scum and Villainy Actual Play
An Australian Scum and Villainy Campaign.
Luxury, cactus juice, and drag queens? Just another day for the crew of the Coyfish. In this episode, the team splits up to enjoy the amenities of the Casa del Ricos. Voel faces off with a famous influencer, Ark seeks out a thermal spa, and Algernon finds himself playing the part of a high-society companion to keep a contact's cover.
The Terminal Descent is almost here! But between luxury day spas and shadowy politicals, they might be in over their heads. 🕵️♂️
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) Arrival at Casa del Ricos
(9:37) Checking In & Meeting Counselor Vain
(17:03) Exploring the Peak of Luxury
(29:44) Algernon's Solo Investigation
(36:16) A Secret Meeting & Ada Black
(44:54) Dinner and Political Intrigue
(50:02) Credits & Outro
9 Aug 2026
Ep 11x02 Morning's Dew (Terminal Descent) | Dark Cosmos Podcast | A Scum and Villainy Actual Play
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
9 Aug 2026
Ep 11x01 Recap & Banter (Terminal Descent) | Dark Cosmos Podcast | A Scum and Villainy Actual Play
An Australian Scum and Villainy Campaign.
In this Banter & Recap episode of Dark Cosmos, we unpack the sheer chaos of Mav's daring escape from the CCF Osprey wreckage and the messy aftermath of the Quasar Pharmaceuticals moon crash. We also dig into the disastrous (and hilarious) consequences of Vol's infamous, seemingly unhealing bruise taking down a vital force field, Ark's shocking cybernetic revelation, and what those mysterious cubic artifacts actually mean for the crew moving forward. Buckle up and get your ship in gear, because the galaxy is only getting more dangerous from here!
Will Vol's infamous bruise ever actually heal, or is it basically the captain of the ship now? Let us know your theories down 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.
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) Cast Introductions & Banter
(03:13) Previous Episode Recaps & Revelations
(08:18) Narrative Speculation
(13:15) Wrapping Up & Looking Ahead
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
918
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
22
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
0
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Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Placeholder NPCs
Who hosts Placeholder NPCs?
Lex and Sam and Xeno host the show. Published by Placeholder NPCs.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes bi-weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Placeholder NPCs take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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