Episode 79: Portrait of Authority

Episode 79: Portrait of Authority

Author: DeepNerd Media April 3, 2025 Duration: 40:27

Pretty Polly Barrow faces shadows of the past while upholding her end of a bargain.


CW: Family strife, description of a horror/monster themed kink club, death of a child, mutilation, sounds of a building being destroyed, monster noises.


Written by Steve Shell and Cam Collins

Narrated by Steve Shell

Sound design by Steve Shell

Produced and edited by Cam Collins and Steve Shell

The voice of Polly Barrow: Tracey Johnston Crum

The voice of Orla: Betsy Puckett

The voice of Conrad Barrow: Cecil Baldwin

The voice of Benual Barrow: Brandon Bentley

The voice of Babylon: Cam Collins

Intro music: “The Land Unknown (The Home is Nowhere Verses: Traditional)” written and performed by Landon Blood

Outro music: “God's Dark Heaven” by Those Poor Bastards

Special equipment consideration provided by Lauten Audio.


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Deep within the ancient hills and mist-shrouded hollows, a different kind of history waits. Old Gods of Appalachia, crafted by DeepNerd Media, is not merely a story but an excavation of the land's old, grim bones. This narrative podcast weaves together elements of folk horror and cosmic dread, rooted in the very soil of the mountains. It explores a world where the coal in the dark seams and the gnarled roots of the trees hold memories far older and more malevolent than any human settlement. Each episode feels like a found artifact, a tale passed down in whispers, warning of what stirs when the skin of the world is cut open. Listeners will hear interconnected stories of communities grappling with forces they cannot comprehend-forces that were here long before the first roads were carved and that will remain long after. The anthology format allows these chilling tales to unfold across different times and perspectives, all bound by the shared, haunted geography of central Appalachia. It’s a place where the price of progress is often measured in blood and darkness, and where the natural world itself holds a terrifying, sentient science. To tune into this podcast is to walk a forgotten path, to feel the weight of the mountains, and to understand that some legends are not just stories, but living, breathing warnings.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Old Gods of Appalachia
Podcast Episodes
Episode 39: The Blood of the Mountain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:33
Sheila Walker’s diary comes to a close, but Miss Belle’s story is far from over.CW: depiction/discussion of religious fundamentalism, gore, reference to death by monster, frank discussion of historical sex work, bodily i…
Episode 38: Diary of a Preacher's Daughter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:20
Miss Belle discovers more about her mamaw Sheila in the pages of her diary. CW: depiction/discussion of religious fundamentalism, gore, reference to death by monster, frank discussion of historical sex work, bodily injur…
Episode 37: The Other Walker House [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:17
Miss Belle discovers her roots in another dead town.CW: references to deaths of parents and siblings, reference to death by monster, frank discussion of historical sex work, bodily injury and disability, emotional trauma…
Episode 36: Eminent Domain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:27
A voice from the past calls a family to go back home one last time.CW: Loud telephone ring, references to deaths of parents and siblings, death of a mother and child in childbrith, death by monster, death by pollution-in…
Episode 35: More Harm Than Good [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:40
The people of Bower County have had just about enough of Polly Barrow and the boys, and decide to do something about it.CW: An armed mob, references to witchcraft practices, fire, house fire, burns / injuries incurred fr…
Episode 34: On Oak Mountain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:59
Polly Barrow and her boys make another special delivery, this time to the Underwoods of Oak Mountain. Discoveries are made.CW: References to historical racism and law enforcement, happy baby sounds, blended Appalachian w…
Episode 33: Special Delivery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:02
Polly Barrow and her Hollow Men, Mr. Crain and Mr. Churchman, venture into the heart of coal country to make special deliveries to those who deserve them.CW: References to occult phenomena, unnatural means of reproductio…
Episode 32: Runs in the Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:11
In the early decades of the 20th century, unions are on the rise in coal country. Those who toil beneath the dark earth balk under the yoke of the Barrow family’s rule, and something must be done.CW: References to occult…
Episode 31: Season Three Prologue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:19
Welcome to Season 3, Family. Join us as we walk in the shadows of the mountains and see a few of those who we might meet in the dark.CW: References to mutilation, occult phenomena, family dysfunction,and being unhoused d…
Date Night [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:27
Valentine’s day is a holiday steeped in blood, sacrifice and violence. Come with us as we show you how bloody it can get.CW: gore, marital infidelity, murder by stabbing, mutilation, murder in romantic situations, implie…