A pair of well-known faces throughout the Dungeons & Dragons streaming neighborhood are dealing with a variety of accusations surrounding their therapy of collaborators on assorted initiatives. Over the previous a number of days, over a dozen totally different former collaborators have spoken out towards Satine Phoenix and Jamison Stone, a pair of steadily seen influencers who’ve appeared on quite a few Dungeons & Dragons streaming reveals and labored with the likes of Wizards of the Coast, Origins Recreation Honest, and Geek & Sundry. These accusations paint a sample of poor therapy, bullying, and gaslighting, together with threats of blacklisting and manipulation.
Phoenix was one of many first distinguished on-line streamers to look within the rising Dungeons & Dragons scene within the late 2010s. Her present The Sirens of the Realm appeared on Dungeons & Dragons’ official streaming channel, and Phoenix labored at Wizards of the Coast because the Group Supervisor for Dungeons & Dragons for a minimum of a yr. Phoenix has labored with quite a few in style names within the Dungeons & Dragons neighborhood, together with Matt Mercer and Luke Gygax, the son of Dungeons & Dragons co-founder Gary Gygax.
Lately, Phoenix has made frequent appearances with Jamison Stone, a self-published creator. The pair steadily make sponsored appearances collectively at conventions, reveals, and signings, together with a sponsorship during which the pair journey to GameStop shops to play Dungeons & Dragons with prospects. Phoenix and Stone organized a crowdfunding campaign for Sirens: Battle of the Bards, a yet-to-be-published Dungeons & Dragons journey/rulebook revealed by Apotheosis Studios, which was based by Stone. Phoenix seems on the quilt of the e-book and the pair added miniatures that includes their likenesses as add-ons. The Kickstarter for Sirens raised over $300,000. A separate Kickstarter for The Red Opera: Last Days of The Warlock raised over $160,000 on Kickstarter. Whereas each books have been headlined by Phoenix and Stone’s involvement, Apotheosis Studios introduced in groups of freelancers to contribute to the e-book. Phoenix and Stone additionally had a public marriage ceremony ceremony at GaryCon earlier this yr, with streamers like Jason C. Miller, Becca Scott, and Amy Vorphal taking part within the marriage ceremony. Stone and Phoenix have been additionally introduced because the headlining particular company at Origins Recreation Honest, a distinguished tabletop present organized by the Recreation Producers of America.
Up to now week, each Stone and Phoenix have been accused of treating staff, co-workers, and freelancers poorly, usually with threats of ruining their skilled careers. The primary accusation got here from Chad Rowe, a tattoo artist who labored with Put up Malone and collaborated with Stone on a tattoo again in 2020. Rowe shared screenshots of a dialogue he had with Stone and Phoenix over a contract relating to using paintings. Stone berates Rowe within the screenshots shared, at one level demanding that Rowe ship him a written letter of apology for his or her interactions.
It was by no means my intention to launch this expertise as a result of I didn’t wish to make my footprint on this business this manner. However in mild of two harmful folks threatening and slandering a few of my closest buddies . It’s time I share my expertise… a thread … pic.twitter.com/DvOhp8yBnh
— chadrowetattoos (@nerdytattooer) June 8, 2022
Quickly afterward, a number of further collaborators got here ahead about their very own interactions with Stone and Phoenix whereas engaged on Sirens. Along with comparable accusations of bullying and poor therapy, a number of collaborators additionally famous that Stone positioned them on a public “blacklist” after they have been instructed to ship invoices for work carried out on the e-book. The collaborators declare they have been finally paid however solely based mostly on a “post-edit” phrase depend, which isn’t business customary. The account of Jessica Marcrum, a notable tabletop designer, could be seen under:
Chad’s not the one one. Jamison gaslit and bullied us on Sirens: Battle of the Bards for asking to be paid after we have been instructed to bill by one of many different challenge leads (Rick Heinz). We finally have been paid…most of us lower than we initially invoiced for, however it’s carried out. https://t.co/pIJOs6nkQr pic.twitter.com/57DqA9Y3XX
— angrynerdgirl (@Miss_Jess03) June 8, 2022
Elisa Teague, a longtime tabletop designer who attended Phoenix and Stone’s public marriage ceremony ceremony at GaryCon, additionally indicated that she had not been paid for her work on Sirens.
I’m not dodging something. I help @nerdytattooer & the creatives who’ve come ahead. I’ve additionally not been paid for writing on Sirens, I backed out of Satine’s Quest & had my very own private assaults by him that I attempted to place behind me till all this got here to my consideration yesterday
— Elisa Teague ⚔️💗⚔️ (@GeekyPinup) June 9, 2022
Different collaborators got here ahead, citing comparable therapy on The Pink Opera. Pat Edwards, one of many writing leads on that challenge, described his expertise under, noting that the band DiAmorte was principally pushed out of the challenge as Stone took an increasing number of management, with Edwards’ share and pay threatened for questioning Stone’s choices.
#TTRPG Experiences I had in co-creating The Pink Opera, specializing in how the creatives have been mistreated & under-credited:
Did y’all know The Pink Opera is an adaption? There’s this nice band referred to as DiAmorte, fronted by Drake Meffesta. The Pink Opera is an album & stage present… 1/
— A Scribe Referred to as Pat (@ThePatEdwards) June 10, 2022
One of the vital harrowing accounts got here from Tristan Morris, who spoke about his expertise with Phoenix and Stone at PAX West after his employer Okta paid for the pair to return out to the present and communicate to gaming corporations about cybersecurity. Morris spoke about how the pair handled him and co-worker Katie DeMatteis as assistants regardless of having organized for the pair to attend PAX West and stream on their behalf.
The primary I noticed of this was when @kmdemat referred to as me earlier right this moment to inform me. We each learn via it, and it rings true to us based mostly on our personal experiences with Satine Phoenix & Jamison Stone. That is our (lengthy) story.
All through, Okay=Katie and T=Me.https://t.co/gQicSAVeJQ
— Tristan (@TheTriscuit) June 10, 2022
Stone eventually posted a public apology to Rowe, the tattoo artist who first raised the problem on Twitter, and mentioned that he had labored to alter his habits, which he blamed on “Advanced Put up-Traumatic Stress Syndrome” since their interactions in 2020. Nevertheless, Jason Azevado, the founding father of streaming channel RealmSmith TV, famous that his habits was happening as lately as final month. Azevado posted that Stone and Phoenix have been verbally abusive to employees at Satine’s Quest, a themed cruise organized by the duo. Azevado additionally claimed that Stone had tried to make use of RealmSmith’s sponsorship of the cruise to cost Norwegian Cruise Line an extra $20,000, solely $5,000 of which was given to RealmSmith.
Thanks @nerdytattooer for coming ahead. This habits has to finish and has no place in our business. https://t.co/TeBlIf05fn pic.twitter.com/50buwUUBnL
— RealmSmith 🔜 Origins (@realmsmithtv) June 9, 2022
On account of the quite a few accusations and accounts, Stone introduced that he stepped down from Apotheosis Studios earlier this week. Though Stone was faraway from Origins’ visitor record, Phoenix continued to make appearances on the present all through the weekend. Afterward, Origins Recreation Honest despatched out an e-mail stating that “employees assessed that there was no rapid danger of bodily hurt” and moved ahead with a modified look schedule for Phoenix.
Whereas Stone was the main focus of most of the accusations, Phoenix can be talked about as exhibiting the identical habits. Moreover, different accounts are rising relating to her actively blacklisting a minimum of one tabletop skilled, which performed out on the Stream of Many Eyes, a D&D stay/streaming occasion held again in 2018. Within the thread under, Liisa Lee claimed Phoenix bullied her within the lead as much as the Stream of Many Eyes, together with a minimum of one incident that occurred on digicam.
Lastly, big gratitude to the oldsters who’ve come to me privately to apologize for staying quiet when it was happening. ⁰Let’s all maintain this neighborhood as protected, as type, as useful & as enjoyable as we are able to make it. ⁰I’d like to roll some cube with you.⁰
Thanks for listening. ⁰/finish— Liisa Lee 🌻 ☮️ (@Liisabelle) June 11, 2022
ComicBook.com has additionally realized that Phoenix is being sued by her former collaborator Ruty Rutenberg. Rutenberg and Phoenix ran the streaming community Maze Arcana, till it went darkish in 2018. In response to the lawsuit submitting posted on the Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom web site, Rutenberg’s Routine Anomaly LLC accuses Phoenix of misappropriating $40,000 of Maze Arcana’s cash, taking the cash and transferring it to non-public accounts whereas serving to to run the channel. This cash was by no means returned to Maze Arcana, resulting in the lawsuit. That lawsuit remains to be pending and Phoenix has filed a countersuit, claiming breach of oral contract and breach of fiduciary responsibility.
Yesterday, Phoenix responded to the accusations, stating that she was sorry for “being the trigger” of her accuser’s ache and for enabling Stone’s “horrible habits.”
To everybody courageous sufficient to share your experiences: I’m so extremely sorry. pic.twitter.com/m3RxYFMd6M
— Satine Phoenix – ORIGINS Particular Visitor! (@satinephoenix) June 13, 2022
For the reason that accusations turned public, Degree Up Cube said they have been cancelling a deliberate collaboration with Apotheosis Studios. D&D In a Fort, an organization providing trip packages that includes D&D video games performed in European castles, additionally eliminated Phoenix from their web site and stated that they will not work with Stone and Phoenix moving forward. Jasper’s Recreation Day, a charity group that raises cash via D&D streaming, introduced that Phoenix had been faraway from their advisory board and that the pair wouldn’t be invited to take part in future Jasper’s Recreation Day occasions. Moreover, podcaster and TTRPG character Travis McElroy said they’d not affiliate with them sooner or later.
My household and I’ve been following the tales being instructed these previous few days in regards to the aggressive disrespect Jamison Stone and Satine Phoenix have proven to quite a few folks, and clearly we discover it very disturbing.
— Travis McElroy, The Web’s Greatest Good friend (@travismcelroy) June 13, 2022
Wizards of the Coast declined to remark for this story. ComicBook.com has additionally reached out to Phoenix for remark in regards to the accusations however didn’t obtain a reply as of press time.
EDIT: This text has been up to date to point that Phoenix has filed a countersuit towards Rutenberg.
