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ludinusdaleth · 12 days

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i'm not interested in finishing watching c2 (first 10 episodes bored me to death) and i only know c3, so what's the deal with essek? did he have a bad redemption arc? did he have a good one? do people just not like him for some reason? because i keep seeing his fans say the only reason c3 fans are saying his redemption arc sucked is to defend imogen and her mom and that seems too shallow to be the real reason.

first of all thank you for trusting in me to give a nuanced answer. ill do my best. essek is one of my favorite characters, but also so historically loved by fandom it has led to altercations and the drowning out of pretty much any other character in fandom spaces. ill try to explain. im sorry for how long this will be.

he was already deeply beloved as an npc for a long while before campaign 2 episode 97 dropped the fact that he was working with ludinus. he had taken luxon beacons (the object ludinus used to power the malleus key, what made opal & ted, what's in ashtons head) from his people in the dynasty - these objects were considered completely sacred to them, and the realization the empire had them, and the dynasty retaliating to get them, led to the war of ash and light which permeates much of c2's plot. so, functionally, essek's action led to war. essek was also at times in charge of or allowed to run interrogations on dynasty prisoners including nott/veth's husband yeza. to keep suspicion off of him, essek shifted blame onto a man in the dynasty who he had a petty grudge against, changed his memory, and set the dynasty onto him - this man was later given to the empire in a peace negotiation, so ludinus then had all control over knowledge on essek's involvement (bar the m9).

his remorse began with the m9, and how their lives had been effected by war and what the empire had done, and there is some implication that essek realized he was perhaps groomed by ludinus (and to a lesser degree made uncomfortable by his cohort trent) - though i should note essek was a (young) adult in government when he gave his people's artifacts away. essek hated the fact that his people were religious in regards to the luxon and did not wish to research it, and thought the cerberus assembly would be able to learn more about it.

essek's arc has been long praised as a very good one, and i think it mostly is. while i cant say we really see his kindness & newly brimming empathy fully extended, he does learn to see others as more than tools. he is still smug over his peoples religion vs his knowledge of the luxon, but learns to respect his culture enough that ludinus probably would not be able to sway him from it by insulting it now. he fights at the m9's side during the last arc, defends caleb from trent & the vollstreckers, helps fix caduceus's home. he is loyal to them forever and not just a traitor any longer. i definitely see some holes in it as he doesnt show much care to anyone but the m9, it is relatively quick how he descends into self hate about his actions that hes generally comforted for, and i worry at times he sinks too much into the soft hot boy flanderization due to everyone even the cast pushing it onto him (yes, softness & being too harsh exist in his characterization and are disliked at once, i know they are opposite traits). but i think it's good when a character is still an ass after redemption and matt clearly wants to avoid him being a soft boi in c3 whilst also maintaining that he has learned humanity & love.

you can see how that would be compelling, along with his general personality and good looks. this made him so compelling that his fans got, uh.... interesting. and that is probably the base problem that sets this discourse. (be aware my experience of his fans is primarily on twitter and in chats.)

folk would get mad and call the show unwatchable without his presence as if every other character was disgusting & boring to them (as if calebs character arc is not. literally. a parralel to esseks). they only cared about shadowgast (but only cared about essek within it, not caleb) and would be furious these two deeply aloof traumatized men didnt fuck on screen after 6 episodes knowing each other, called caleb abusive for not messaging him after a few episodes, called liam (who is iirc bi) homo/biphobic and abusive to matt for not kissing essek at one point or another. when caleb & essek did bond at the end of c2 and it was said they got together for a time that was not enough for fans, who claimed it homophobic (this magically mostly disappeared when folk saw other mlm stories did and do continue to play out in cr, which they only realized when orym existed and was a gold star gay - i, as a gay man, do not care on the scale they do lol). astrid was completely slammed into the mud by essek fans for being his mirror but a woman (they magically did not hate wulf, the last mirror in this scenario, a man, as much). people were furious essek did not have merch at the point where not even many pcs did yet and said it was homophobic (this magically stopped when he eventually got a portrait and chibi). a few learned he was ace/demi and called it a cop out, or otherwise ignored any nuance of it because they were horny about wizard yaoi (im aware ace/demi folks do have sex, but sometimes folk use that as a justification for ignoring the ace spectrum part of an identity). from personal experience, essek fans can be..... very disturbing, predatory individuals with no regard for who they are deeply sexual around, but that is just who i met and i do not want to go into that experience. in short, a lot of c2 era fandom has BEEF with them. i cannot say it is unjustified.

so with all that context, where does that leave the character and why do people compare him to liliana & imogen?

it is my genuine opinion from observation a lot of fandom on here & twitter that essek/shadowgast/caleb fans can be.... sexist. it does not go unnoticed to me that imogen has an extremely similar moral arc to caleb and yet is called evil when caleb is called traumatized & struggling with demons but a good man. caleb was part of the vollstrecker (assassins for the empire) as a youth but broke, and ran, after killing his parents, and had to learn he was more than dirt, and learn to love again. imogen began easily jealous & in turmoil about herself and her mother, but has grown to be one of the most empathetic people who is constantly struggling between sacrifice and her simple wish to live with laudna, that it seems the universe wants to fight. both are aware they could be or are seen as living shit for their youth or conception and accept it. both dont really know how to find a way out of that. i think both are incredible characters. i notice when fans only acknowledge the hero's journey of one.

as for liliana & essek..... look, essek has a very defined character arc that we have seen come to fruition and end in redemption. liliana (and by extension bor'dor and other ruby vanguard folk) have not yet. essek was framed as neutral at first and liliana was framed as ludinus's ally. i get it. but it is impossible to me to not see liliana in the steps of essek at the beginning of his own arc. if anything i think her intentions (if not actions) are infinitely less selfish than esseks, as she wished to do this to save her daughter. ludinus has caught so many in his web, and essek got out, and liliana just realized she's in the webbing. whats interesting is how we see clear as day every conversation they have that liliana has been brainwashed into cult mentality & justification, and yet only had one or two conversations vaguely indicating this about essek, and yet essek is always praised as a survivor where liliana is not. bor'dor is very clearly like essek in being an oppressed young man who sees a calling made by a powerful older man, but entire breakdowns of how men of color are recruited into the far right have been written about essek where bor'dor (actual man of color) is despised by the same people. the tldr on this is i do think some folk can be so drunk on Hating Essek juice they swing too far in their assumptions, but the pattern of his fans misinterpreting everyone else to elevate him is based on precendent thats happened for years, and i think it is deeply.... disappointing? to watch such a nuanced story play out in c3 and refuse to engage with it whilst claiming anyone who wishes to analyze the way a cult breaks your brain is misandrist.

im so sorry this is so long, but i really do not know how else to describe all this without its nuance. i hope i wrote something that made sense.

#cr discourse #van speaks #long post #asks #also im always going to say give c2 a chance again but. thats me #critical role meta

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pleasantmsp · 8 months

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Been rewatching some of the Mighty Nein campaign cause I was missing them and also I'm excited for their one shot soon! I've seen a few people speculating about the one shot so thought I'd put my thoughts out into the void as well.

I honestly don't know at all what to expect from this one shot. I don't even remember what the description was beyond that it has to do with the apogee solstice stuff. I haven't kept up much with campaign 3 for my own reasons that I don't need to get into now. However, I did actually watch a couple of the episodes during the solstice and got lucky with watching the ep with beau and caleb in it. But otherwise, I barely know what's going on. I have no idea what the M9 will be dealing with. My theories include anything from getting Beau and Caleb back and dealing with cultists along the way to dealing with the Cerberus Assembly's/Ludinus' attachments to this whole thing to stopping Tharizdun or some other entity from doing some fuck shit. Honestly, I don't fucking know man. I don't even really think any of that shit will happen.

I don't know if it's been confirmed that Caduceus is gonna be the one in this one shot but I really hope it is him. One of the things that's been bothering me about this arc from the BH perspective (at least that I've seen) is that none of them or any that they've come across has been able to argue for the side of the gods and the good that some of them can do. As someone who really likes the worldbuilding and rp that gods can bring to settings like this, not having that perspective represented has been disappointing for me. (This is not the fault of the cast or their guests or anything like that, that is not what I'm saying. It is their choice what characters they play and it is Matt's choice as the DM which NPCs/areas they come across in wherever they decide to explore. I'm just mentioning my own preference and feelings as it pertains to the one shot which is what I'm talking about). Anyway, I hope it's Caduceus because I think he will bring an incredibly interesting perspective on this whole thing. And I think Fjord will too but not to the extent that Cad can since Cad and his family grew up as worshippers of Melora.

We don't know the fate of Beau and Caleb and while I don't think they're dead, I really hope they aren't gone for most of this one shot. Beau is my favorite character in any media ever. I fucking love Beau so much. And Beauyasha is my favorite couple, I love them. I will be literally so sad if Marisha isn't playing Beau for this one shot. Like I'll understand but also I will indeed be devastated. Beauyasha is like my Roman Empire (this joke will be aging this post LMAO but its a good comparison honestly), I think about them A LOT. I want to see more content from them. I was at SDCC, I was there when Ashley said she felt like she wasn't fully finished with Yasha and that's exactly how I feel. The Mighty Nein's story was so good but the way it ended felt so long and then so abrupt (but that's another post). I will always be wanting more of Beau and Yasha's story. I want to know as much as Marisha and Ashley are willing to give us. So I hope the one shot starts with Beau and Caleb and how they reunite with the Nein and then get to business. Or even better, with them already reunited for maximum Nein time.

Those are my main two thoughts for now. I actually need to go to bed cause I got work in the morning and it's been kicking my ass these last two weeks so imma cut it there and check back tomorrow. If you somehow see this, I hope you enjoyed my ramblings lol

#critical role #the mighty nein #beauyasha #beau lionett #yasha nydoorin #caduceus clay

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rosileeduckie · 8 months

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Not So Fast-Travel

No matter the genre or universe, there's always someone in the middle seat of the car.

Yasha and Caduceus find a way to pass the time while traveling, and their friends join in the fun. First piece (yes, on day three; it's practickly tradition for me:) for Tickletober 2023

Critical Role/Mighty Nein tickle fic. Warnings: none.

Word count: 2,928

~*~

She may have grown up in the wastes of Xhoras, but Yasha could find little love left in her for her home. Sure, the cities to the north had been fascinating to explore for the first time, and traveling with the odd bunch that was the Nein made any place entertaining, but the wastes were just as dull and dangerous and endless as she remembered, not to mention her backside was starting to get sore from the endless ride across the bleak plains. Maybe she was biased, but anyone who'd suffered a long rocky upbringing and then one ass-numbing journey on those wastes was justified in finding them bleak.

At least she had a good riding companion. Not that any of the party would be bad to travel with. Still, Yasha was glad she'd lucked into sharing a beast with Caduceus. The firbolg was fuzzy and warm, which gave Yasha all the more reason to keep her arms wrapped around his waist to keep from flying off the back of their beast. With both adventurers' armor pieces lashed to the saddle, Yasha could rest her cheek against Caduceus' back without his usual beetle green chest plate clocking her in the nose, for which she was grateful. His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear, and she could every so often hear vibrations from when he would softly hum or croon in his deep voice to their moorbounder. If said moorbounder's loping gait wasn't so tumultuous, Yasha might have fallen asleep. She didn't blame Clarabelle, though. Hopefully the huge cat-thing was enjoying the exercise.

It had taken a bit for Yasha to become comfortable with Caduceus. Part of it was due to her own solo journeys apart from the Nein, making her miss some of the voyages they'd all bonded more deeply on, even though they'd embraced her back into their midst each time as though she'd never left. But it was also how kind the firbolg was. Yasha had only met one other person with so warm a heart, and she had a hard time trusting that another person so good could cross her path. Through his relentless kindness, he'd worn down her walls, and his courage and wisdom helped her see how genuine he was. Yasha respected that. He was also very warm to sleep next to in the Nein's camping bubble, which Yasha was privy to where the others were not for complaint of Caduceus' snoring. Yasha didn't mind. The thunderous sound was comforting to drift off to.

"Doin' alright back there?" Caduceus asked, his easy smile visible as he looked over his shoulder. Yasha's hands were folded over his middle, but the firbolg, though thin, was a full head taller than her. Yasha adjusted to look up at him, resting her chin on his shoulder blade and tipping her head back to meet his eye.

The barbarian hummed affirmatively, closing her eyes and offering a tired smile. "Could use a cupholder."

A chuckle rumbled through Caduceus' chest that made Yasha's jawbone buzz, and her smile softened into something fond. "I'll see after this adventure if we make enough to get a few improvements for our saddle, sound good?"

"Yeah. Just think, we could have tea on the road."

"Ah," Caduceus said, grin beaming as he urged Clarabelle onward to keep pace with the rest of the group. "That'd be nice."

Yasha turned to rest her cheek once more on Caduceus' back. The view this way hardly varied enough to interest Yasha, the sky the same ever-dark and clouded and the scraggly scrub grass silhouetted and whistling in the cold late season wind. It was a relief, then, when Clarabelle charged forward, catching up and keeping pace with the two larger moorbounders and giving Yasha the colorful view that was Jester and Fjord atop their bounder. Ironically, Fjord looked green, his arms clamped tightly around Jester's waist and his face buried in the back of her neck. For a moment, Yasha wondered if the half-orc had somehow gotten seasick from the lumbering, racing stride of Yarnball, Jester's mount, but when Fjord lifted his head, Yasha could see that his features were twisted in embarrassment—brows furrowed and newly growing tusks exaggerating his lower lip as he pouted—rather than nausea. Yasha's wondering then wandered to whether what had flustered Fjord was Jester teasing him or just her inevitable closeness from their riding positions on a single moorbounder, and apparently such musing was easy to read from her soft chuckle because Fjord caught her eye and glared. Meanwhile Jester's smile was just beaming, her shoulders wiggling delightedly and her tongue poking out between her fangs.

At the encroach of sharp-tongued Zemnian, Yasha shifted to rest her other cheek against Caduceus' back. To her left, she could now see Caleb and Beau atop Jannick, the largest moorbounder among the group's. A moment later, Yasha saw Nott, popping her head out from where she was evidently sandwiched between the two humans. Beau's arms, folded and resting on Caleb's shoulders, served as a crown for the disgruntled goblin that boxed her small frame in. Caleb had hardly finished chastising the pair over his shoulder before Nott sent an elbow sharply and bodily backward into Beau's abdomen. The movement jostled both women and nearly unseated them, Beau balancing herself by gripping fistfuls of moorbounder fur on either side of the trio's saddle and Nott flailing for purchase by clawing at Caleb's coat and hanging on tight. Caleb swore again, Nott pulled sour faces, and Beau only laughed. At the sound and the grin Beau threw her way, Yasha prayed briefly and gratefully that Caduceus was too busy driving to notice how her heart skipped a beat and her cheeks warmed beneath her dark eye paint.

"It seems you have some problem passengers, Mr Caleb," said Caduceus, and the wizard huffed.

"Nothing escapes your notice, Caduceus."

Nott relaxed her grip in favor of crossing her arms the moment she had reclaimed some semblance of balance. "PassenGER," Nott said, speaking to the firbolg cleric but with a squinting side glance toward Beau. "I'M not the one causing problems. And how could I be, when I'm the size of a carry-on?"

Beau rolled her eyes and replied with a shove that squished Nott's face into the back of Caleb's coat. "Maybe if you'd quit SHIFTING—"

Before the monk could say more, Caleb, seething to the point of smoke nearly coming out of his ears, barked over his shoulder, "If you won't BOTH behave, I swear I'm feeding you to Jannick the moment we stop to camp for the night."

"See, Cad, Yasha, here's the thing," said Beau, swinging her leg over so as to ride side-saddle and politely face the pair she spoke to and less politely lean an elbow on Nott's head and anchor a hand on Caleb's shoulder. "When we left the city, I, very honorably and fairly, called dibs on not having to sit in the middle. It's Nott who's got a problem with that and making it everyone else's problem."

"I wouldn't have any problems if you'd stop SQUISHING me!" Nott whipped her head back to hiss at Beau and grinned smugly when the monk flinched back momentarily. Only to hiss all the more when Beau stubbornly hugged her tight and pinched her ears.

Caduceus chuckled and turned forward once more as Clarabelle, evidently done with the bickering noise, took a few pounces further ahead of the pack.

Yasha turned back with a smirk as Nott yelled. "No, Caduceus, Yasha, come on! We need an impartial third party! Ow--! Make Beau switch seats with me!”

The two women launched back into bickering, and Caleb’s shoulders hunched all the higher until he swore at them and yanked his mount’s reins, prompting Jannick to offer an irritated and deep meow to the collective complaints department.

Caduceus’ ear flicked toward the sound, and Yasha’s attention was drawn from the squabbling caravan. It really showed how dull the journey had been that Caduceus’ ear, of all things, was suddenly so fascinating a sight to Yasha. But she could hardly nitpick at the odd--at any--entertainment.

Unlike Yasha's which were close to her head and small and rounded and pale, Caduceus' ears were more bovine in nature, long and droopy and covered in thin grey fur (the backs were, anyway, that she could see). They looked soft, and it was not the first time she'd thought so. She may have developed a bad habit of pinching her friend's ears to get their attention. At least, it had always worked on Molly, and, though she hadn't tested it nearly as much, it seemed to be equally effective on the Nein, certainly on Beau and Caleb. Height posed a challenge with some of her friends, so, while she could physically pick up Nott if she needed her attention, Yasha hadn’t given Caduceus many ear pinches. He didn’t annoy or ignore her enough to give her real reason to. They had poked and elbowed one another in the past if they needed to rise quickly from a contented, quiet snuggle, but that was mutual. Yasha didn’t think she annoyed Caduceus. She certainly hoped not, but would have fully understood if that changed after what she was about to do. Lifting her hand, Yasha curled her index finger and gently ran her knuckle along the back of Caduceus’ ear. Yup, she was just deciding, downy and soft as a baby angel’s wing–when Caduceus jolted, twitching forward with a huff. Yasha drew her hand back and furrowed her brow. Huh.

“Don’t tell me,” Caduceus chuckled, looking over his shoulder at her, “you came up with an even better improvement for the journey than a cupholder?”

“Maybe.” Yasha crossed her arms on Caduceus’ back and rested her chin atop them, tilting her head slightly to one side to watch his face. “Are your ears ticklish, Caduceus?” she asked, a crooked smirk rising on her lips.

From her vantage point, Yasha could easily see Caduceus’s mouth tighten into a pinched smile–and, he didn’t blush like some of the other Nein but, Yasha swore she saw tiny flowers begin to bloom in his long pink hair–before he scoffed. “I have siblings,” he sighed, turning to face the road ahead but grinning. “I know there’s no right way to answer that question.”

“Sure, there is.” Yasha’s ears didn’t twitch, but she could still hear when Caleb’s swearing grew louder, either closer or snappier. “You could threaten to feed me to Clarabelle.”

Caduceus snickered and said again, “I have siblings. You’d have to do a lot more than tickle me to annoy me enough to where I’d threaten that.”

Yasha grinned, uncrossing her arms and holding her hands up behind Caduceus’ ears. “I can accept that challenge.”

She didn’t attack right away for two reasons: the first was because she didn’t want to be too mean to Caduceus, in general but, because he was driving, and the second was because she had a funny thought she wanted to test, and doing so would only build up the butterflies of anticipation. (In her earlier life, she hadn’t had much experience with comforting and playful touch, but since finding family in the Nein, she’d become something of an expert in receiving and giving it. And maybe wielding its effects as easily and sharply as her sword.) Moving carefully as she could while on the back of a lumbering beast, Yasha moved her index fingers at a snail’s pace toward the back of Caduceus’ ears, keeping out of his periphery and just shy of actually touching him.

Her head was still tilted to one side as she said, soft and lilting, “Caduceus~”

His left ear flicked back toward her voice, only to brush against her waiting fingers. Yasha grinned as Caduceus flinched forward and gave his head a little shake. When he returned to his previous posture, Yasha didn’t let suspense prolong; she traced her first and middle finger down the length of Caduceus’ right ear. Said ear swatted at her like she was a buzzing gnat while the ear’s owner ducked his head and snorted.

Some combination of boredom and hearing that adorable sound ignited something in Yasha–a fire of mischief, a blazing villainous streak, what have you–and was definitely to blame for her becoming the worst traveling companion for the following few minutes.

Yasha rested the heels of her hands against the base of Caduceus’ skull and, gentle but unyielding, fluttered the tips of her fingers along the back of his ears. She took care not to hold too tight if Caduceus needed to hunch forward and out of reach, and the gentle half-giant tensed under her hands but didn't actively pull away. His body seemed to want to, instinctively, but–because he knew Yasha could be very stubborn or because he also needed some diversion to lighten up their tiresome trip and maybe because he didn’t mind her tickling all that much–Caduceus held firm against that instinct, and, if he couldn’t help but duck his head, he rounded his back to curl closer to her and stay within reach. Maybe such a feat of willpower was possible because his ears weren’t his most ticklish spot. Yasha’s little demon flared up again inside her, and she grinned, fluttering her fingers a bit faster. Caduceus might have been in for a bit of trouble if he ended up next to Yasha in the camp cuddle bubble that night, because she was absolutely going to be searching him for spots that would make him laugh so loud that the Nein would wonder how they ever complained about the volume of his snoring. As of yet, his laughter was quiet, huffing breaths through his nose and the occasional, adorable snort.

“Doin’ alright up there?”

Caduceus groaned, and, when he looked back to glare at her, she could see how big and gritted his smile was.

Though the little demon in her longed to, she didn’t push further. She wanted to be his traveling companion again at some point to get to play this game again, after all. Slowing her fingers, Yasha rotated her hands so she could reach the spots on either side of the jaw that always seemed to carry tension for her, and she pushed her thumbs gently into those points. Caduceus hummed, then coughed up a squeak when Yasha’s fingers curled into his hair, her nails gently scratching his scalp. Her heart seizing momentarily at how cute the cleric was, Yasha thumped her head against his back. How had their journey suddenly gotten so much shorter and so much longer so fast?

Yasha lifted her head at the sound of a delighted squeal–Caduceus’ ears also flicked toward the sound, and she dusted her fingertips along them–and looked toward it, finding Jester and Fjord having loped up alongside them. “Yasha, that’s such a good idea!” Jester clapped. “This trip was taking forever. A tickle fight would definitely pass the time!”

The tiefling wrangled her reins into one hand and reached behind her, fingers splaying and curling dramatically as she grabbed at Fjord’s side. Fjord wasn’t having it. Apparently, however Jester had been teasing him the rest of the journey, he was ready to have equal footing and even, since he had both hands, the advantage. He grabbed her wrist with one hand, smirking, “A fight, huh?” His other hand shot under her arm, fingers wiggling, and Jester crumpled against his chest with a burst of bright, happy laughter.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Yasha looked to her other side, and, sure enough, Beau and Nott were grinning at one another behind Caleb, whose glower now featured a prominent flush and arms pulled tight to his sides.

“It really is a good idea!” said Nott, snickering as she watched Fjord and Jester play atop an oblivious moorbounder. “And I’ve got another one.” She grinned toothily at Beau. “Let’s put Caleb in the middle.”

“Nein–” Caleb snapped, but Beau had already wedged her hands under his arms and lifted him out of his seat enough for Nott to scurry under and claim shotgun.

“Why didn’t we think of this sooner?” Beau exclaimed, hooking an arm around Caleb’s waist to keep him pinned to her front and to prevent him from accidentally squirming himself off of their riding beast from what Beau’s other hand was doing, stuffed underneath the book holsters on his ribs and fingers surely digging in mercilessly, judging by the sudden shriek of cackling, swearing laughter from Caleb. “It’s been a long ride for everyone; our drivers could use a break.”

“But don’t break him,” Nott giggled, taking up Jannick’s reins. “Hyah!”

Their moorbounder leapt forward with an eager yowl, making Nott and Beau join Caleb in wild laughter. “Thanks, Yasha!” Beau called over her shoulder, beaming, and Yasha fought the urge to bury her face in Caduceus’ back again.

Having satiated her own appetite for mischief and inspired enough playful chaos for the moment, Yasha gave Caduceus’ ears a little pinch each and then ran her fingers through his hair, weaving pink braids. “I know you said you won’t feed me to Clarabelle, but I haven’t annoyed you so much that the cupholder is off the table, have I?”

Caduceus chuckled, leaning back into her touch as he urged their beast forward to keep up with the rest of their silly little group. “Nah.” He turned his head to smile down at her. “But you’re driving next time.”

#tickling #mine #tickle fic #ro writes #tickletober #tickletober 2023 #record to beat for last year is two yall #i believe in me so bad #critickle role #ticklish!caduceus #i forget if i said or not but no prompts atm #i'm already overwhelmed so i'm gonna try to take it easy for what's supposed to be fun

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eternalsongbird · 2 years

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Y'know, Caduceus is gonna have a vision and randomly be waiting for Fjord at his and Jester's studio apartment saying, "get in loser, we're gonna have a fuckin' exorcism" go banish Zehir's mark because he did NOT spend this much time with Fjord for his himbo ass to be left with yet another lingering scar of darkness for being a dumbass lol

#critical role #critical role spoilers #the mighty nein reunited #caduceus clay #fjord #fjord stone #jester lavorre

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thebest-medicine · 8 months

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Day 6: Chase

Tickletober 2023 - Critical Role - Mighty Nein C2 - lee!Caduceus

[see my other tickletober 2023 fics]

A/N: Based around the bone flute prank scene in C2E96. I love the Clays so much. Caduceus sneaks up on Calliope and blows the flute super loud, startling her into the pool of water she’s sitting beside. He bolts, laughing, and she chases his ass down and gets him. [read on AO3]

Words: 681

—

The moon casts a dim light overheard as Caduceus creeps up quietly, padding through the grass toward the temple. As he approaches, he sees a figure sitting at the edge of the pool of water just inside, a soft glow emanating from it. A blink to adjust to the diluted colors of the night leads him to correctly spy exactly who it is. Just who he was looking for. Calliope. Today had been the first day in nearly a decade he’s seen her. Too much time had passed.

Calliope watches the water contemplatively, her toes dipped in the pool.

Caduceus takes a few more slow steps toward her, praying to the Wildmother for a silent landing of each foot.

As he approaches, he can see her holding the crystal in her hands, glancing it over before looking between the pool and the temple structure above. She sighs heavily.

Caduceus gets closer, as close as he can, so slowly, so quietly, and pulls the bone flute from his pocket.

Calliope begins to whisper an almost silent prayer, her toes curling in the water.

A loud, sharp, chilling tone fills the temple, emanating from a foot or so behind her, and Calliope shrieks in surprise. She jolts forward, straight into the pool of water.

Caduceus grins to himself, putting the bone flute back in his pocket before turning to run.

Calliope’s soaked form fully emerges from the pool, taking in her surroundings with wide eyes. She clocks him, slamming her fists into the water. “Caduceus!” She takes the crystal she’s been holding and chucks it at him.

He bolts back the way he came with a laugh. Knowing he doesn’t stand much of a chance outrunning her, he gets to the entry of the temple and skids to a stop. “I got you something!” He barely gets the words out before cold, wet arms are wrapping him up and the full force of his sister tackles him to the ground. He can’t keep the smile off his face, laughing as he goes down.

“You little shit!” Calliope growls as she pins him on his back. “You know, I was gonna thank you! Was!” Cad chuckles up at her, holding out the flute. “Oh, it’s all coming back to you, huh? Like nothing’s changed.”

He smiles back. “Yeah, heh, like I said, I got you a gift.”

Her nostrils flare as she fixes him with an even more annoyed look. Her hair is dripping as she gets herself on top of him and pins an arm out to the side. Then, oh shit- she starts tickling, trying to find the sensitive spots between his waist and armpit.

Caduceus breaks into full laughter, grin wide on his face. “Ahaha- oh nohohoho- dohon’t! Hahaha- wait- Calliopehehehehe aha- wahahait!” He pleads between laughs when she digs into a particularly sensitive rib.

“I don’t know about that. Apparently, I have been waiting a long fucking time.” She counters, smug smirk evident in her voice. “So, if this is how you’re gonna be, it seems I have quite a few years worth of tickling the snot out of you to catch up on!”

Caduceus cackles and kicks out behind her. “I- hehe- I missed you toohohhoo!” His free hand clutches the bone flute and tries to curl around to protect some of the sensitive spots.

Calliope reaches up and tickles along the shell of his ear. Caduceus makes one of the highest pitched noises that has been heard from him in decades. When his breath comes back to him, he’s already conceding. “Okahahahay- okahahay, I give! Ahaha- Callioppehehe plehease!”

She rolls her eyes and lets go of his arm. Stepping back and offering her hand to help him up. He takes it, smile still wide on his face. He passes her the bone flute and begins pestering her about using it to prank Colton. They nudge shoulders, laugh and catch up as they walk back over toward the pool. Mid-sentence, Calliope trips him off balance and pushes him into the water.

It was good to be around family again.

#tickletober 2023 #tickletober23 #ticklish!caduceus #critickle role #tickle fic #fluff #tickling #calliope clay #caduceus clay #mighty nein #campaign 2 #critical role #mine #fic #i love them #big sibling energy #canon adjacent #fics #day 6 chase

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utilitycaster · 7 months

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Hi, first religion anon (NOT the same as the second religion anon). My main complaints are with TUC (mostly s1 but the ‘Jesus is real’ thing in s2 really bothered me) and the way that Laudna and a few other characters engage with the gods on CR. I have 0 complaints with Sam, I think his engagements with religion as both Scanlan and FCG are fascinating. I think things like ACOC and Kristen on D20 are done fine, but when they move outside of Christian allegories they tend to stumble. I know Brennan and Ally have philosophy backgrounds and Emily has a religious studies background, but frankly I’m not super confident in American universities’ ability to make people deconstruct Christian hegemony, and things like Emily using the phrase “Judeo-Christian” aren’t super encouraging to me.

thanks for clarifying, I was wondering about the second anon bc I was like "the first anon came in being fairly normal even if I don't agree and this feels...bad and also just a hunch but it feels like it's coming from a Cultural Christian who is not American. (also I did get your follow up question and I want to answer that one separately bc I think it's a good but separate point).

I know it's not terribly popular to say but being weird about the term "Judeo-Christian" feels like one of those things that Jumblr and other people in Jewish Millennial/Gen Z spaces online made a big deal about and I'm like "uhhhhh this was a thing my actual Jewish middle school teachers said sometimes; it's not the best term, no, but it was the go-to term in a lot of contexts until quite recently to the point that yeah, Emily going to school in the 2000s would probably hear it even from Jewish profs, and so it's not so much a red flag as a sign that she graduated before 2010."

I also honestly don't mind Jesus being real in TUC 2; at some point if you've decided all other mythology is real why not Christian religion. It feels, in a way, far more Christian-centric to treat Christianity as something that cannot be incorporated, as too real, as compared to say, Norse or Greek myths or Golems.

I will say that I agree that Ally and Marisha do tend to be a bit more limited in how they engage; I actually don't mind Laudna's frustrations with the gods from a "I think this comes from Marisha's personal feelings" perspective more so than a "could we...actually explore this as a throughline rather than a bunch of random-ass statements." I do think that Ally does tend to pull from their own experience; understandably so, but yes, it's very different than my experience as someone not raised Christian let alone strictly so.

I guess, and this might just be difficult to do as an anon ask thing, that I am looking at this very holistically. I am looking far more at what the GM is doing than an individual player, and I haven't had issues with Matt, Brennan, Murph, or Aabria's portrayal of divine forces. I find that Worlds Beyond Number has been explicitly very not Christian (and indeed, heavily influenced by Shintoism and pre-Christian Irish religion) in how the spirits are portrayed, and while I think Matt does tend to draw a lot from Catholic architecture and imagery and vibes, the way the gods engage with the players does not feel exclusively Christian (notably in Campaign 2; none of Fjord, Caduceus, Yasha, nor Jester's experience feel inherently cultural Christian beyond the fact that Travis mentions he doesn't feel like he can connect with the Luxon because 'it's a shape'). So it means I'm not looking to Ally for example for an exploration of religion that is as accessible to me, but I do find that actual play on the whole feels fine. I find a lot of the claims do feel like they get really hung up on specific details (eg: the Santa jokes in Chetney's backstory) instead of the overall feeling (eg: the fact that many of the deities have a very open, fluid, and at times intellectual form of engagement; the fact that the general message is that suffering is not purifying but rather simply sucks; Melora death domain traditions and especially Caduceus's philosophy which is very much outside American Protestantism; the polytheistic society of Vasselheim.)

#answered #Anonymous #cr tag

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mollymauktealeef · 2 years

Text

things i am excited about in no particular order or a complete list:

old opening theme

new opening??!!

new art!

hot boi sighting!

kingsley extended time!

caleb voice

veth voice

POP POP

caduceus voice

aeor dates (either explicit or hinted at)

yussa trapped somewhere (bets are the moon but he is the nein's blorbo so maybe multiple places at once, that man finds trouble)

polymorph shenanigans return

murder hoboing returns (listen the hell's are great and love the care but also i miss the unrestrained feral murder sprees okay)

marius still hasn't killed someone/marius has killed someone/the resulting teasing is the same

return of the ultimate husband YEZA

ludinus fuckwad gets his ass handed to him

Uk'otoa, Uk'otoa

feel free to add onto this list, i still am lol

#jask rambles #the server is insane #my brain is insane #there's so much to look forward to #critical role #cr2

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aspiringsophrosyne · 1 year

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Mother Ocean: Fjord And The Mighty Nein.

In anticipation of the upcoming animated series, let's talk about Fjord.

One thing that I cannot stress enough...that I cannot stress enough...is how goddamned consistently Freudian Fjord's story accidentally turned out.

Let's take a look at that, shall we? We'll start with a comparison between Fjord and his Campaign One counterpart.

Fjord and Grog

Now as different as they seem, Fjord and Grog's stories have at least one big theme in common. The low-key rejection of toxic masculinity.

In Grog's story, it's less subtle, but in Fjord's, it's more prevalent.

Grog was the runt of his Herd. When he spared Wilhand Trickfoot, a much smaller and physically weaker man Kevdak saw as worthless, he was beaten and left for dead. Later, it's only with the help of his friends (and specifically a gnome, which I always thought was rather poetic) that Grog could take his uncle down.

Fjord is a half-orc who is unusually lacking in strength. A man who grew up in a world where survival was predicated on a tough façade, and he finds it in the voice and manners of his missing captain and father figure because, as he says, when Vandran talked, people listened. Not only that, but he also gained a Warlock patron who pushed him deeper and more desperately into the act.

But that's only the first part of his story. When he throws away his pact weapon and, with it, his false affectation, another power becomes available to him.

But he's only able to do that because of the influence of the Nein and what they'd been through together up to that point.

Gender Dynamics in The Mighty Nein.

It really can't be overstated how much of a positive influence the Mighty Nein were on each other. Travis has said on Talks that part of the turning point for Fjord was Beau running back to get him during the King's Cage. Fjord was always frantic not to be a liability. But the Mighty Nein always had his back: when the Shepherds abducted him, Yasha, and Jester, and when they were trying to escape from the Laughing Hand alongside a possessed Yasha. And they still did even after that last pushed him to throw away his powers.

But even before that: traveling with the Nein Fjord was granted something just as significant. If much more ephemeral.

Caleb is physically weak, soft-spoken, and secretive; but brilliant, tactical, and highly destructive. Mollymauk is flamboyant, shameless, and genderfluid, no stranger to pain and no slouch in a fight. Cad is introspective, slow to anger, and a little spacey but willing to do grim work.

In other words, none of the men are traditionally masculine, but they all repeatedly prove themselves useful, both in and out of battle.

It doesn't stop with the boys, either. Jester is probably the most traditionally feminine of the women. She's also willful, clever, not afraid to speak her mind, and the second most physically powerful of the group. Yasha is, among other things, a brutal powerhouse who takes absolutely no shit and is endearingly awkward to boot. Nott is tactless, self-interested, and unsophisticated but in no way dumb. And Beau is...well, Beau. She's crass, blunt, always horny on main, and only needs her fists to beat your ass.

The women, as a whole, are partly traditionally feminine at best. Yet, like the boys, all of them can pull their weight in and out of a fight.

This might've served as a revelation to Fjord. Who, like Grog, by all indications, came from a world where an untraditionally masculine man would've been derided as useless at best.

This, plus the contrast between Avantika's zealous worship of Uk'otoa and Caduceus' calm surety in his reverence for the Wild Mother is a big part of what allows Fjord to see another way forward for himself.

It makes Fjord's story that of a man looking too hard for his identity in the typically, stringently, and unhealthily masculine, unable to recognize that what he was looking for could be found by tapping into what he would consider his more feminine side. And this makes obvious sense in hindsight, as the sea is a hugely feminine symbol, and the sea was Fjord's first true joy and escape.

The Freudian stuff.

So we've got a an orphan who came from a background where traditional and even toxic masculinity to the exclusion of the traditionally feminine was regarded as the norm, who in trying to reunite with a found father figure fell into the trap of a sea monster demi-god that exploits that in order to be freed, who learns from his fellow travelers that there are other ways of being that would still allow him to contribute to the group. This leads him to break away from his upbringing and his Patron's influence to embrace the Wild Mother, a nature goddess that ties both into his love of the sea and his status as a man who never knew his mother. And she is a better fit and a better patron for him and just in general than Uk'otoa could ever be.

All of that is already a pretty thematically consistent storyline. But then, when we get to the Freudian B. S., the knob goes to eleven. And then pops off.

Our boy is a hexblade (texblade) warlock with a sword for a pact weapon, and his patron is an immeasurably massive sea serpent that comes to him in, well, the cast joked about it: wet dreams.

Now come on. You can't get any more phallic than that unless you're Jester.

As the Nein travel, Fjord becomes a darker, more provocative presence the longer he travels on his patron's pilgrimage. But when Fjord refuses to open the last seal, Uk'otoa gets pissy. He repeatedly rescinds Fjord's abilities, leaving him and the Mighty Nein vulnerable. Fortunately for Fjord, another entity steps in with an offer.

The Wild Mother.

After Fjord has so long chased after fathers and corruptive masculine coded influences connected to them, he is given relief and eventually power from a goddess. Whose epitaph is the Wild Mother? Who is the goddess of the sea, which is the center of Fjord's life?

But I'm not done yet. If you look at the accidental symbolism inherent to the nature of the godly figures involved here, it goes deeper than that.

Uk'otoa is trying to exert control over the Wild Mother's domain. Specifically over the ocean, one of the most recognizable yonic symbols in our collective thematic history. The Wild Mother, after she pulls Fjord free from Uk'otoa's nightmare and into her dream ocean, even calls the space a womb.

So we have an orphan who found a father figure. In trying to reunite with him, he follows in his footsteps and, as Vandran did, falls under the sway of the same snake: a violent, unwanted invader of the womb of a nature goddess called the Wild Mother. That pushed Fjord deeper under his mask of toxic masculine traits.

And this journey he takes, in which he slowly drops that mask, sees Fjord realigning his loyalty, from the phallic victimizer, to the goddess whose yonic space was the target of its attempted subjugation.

To sum it up, we have a story of an orphan sailor who slowly learns to walk away from his unhealthy relationship with masculinity, which is thematically supported by the influence of his less-than-traditionally presenting fellow travelers and his abandoning an abusive and incredibly masculine-coded patron in favor of a divine figure that is not only, in contrast, a goddess but a mother goddess of the sea at that. This is then also supported by the Freudian symbolism inherent in his pact weapon, the form of his patron, the territory it is attempting to invade to rule, and the nature of the goddess who adopts him into her service.

The fact that Fjord and Vandran were both physically intimate with the same woman was just the cherry on top of the Freudian Sunday, my dudes.

Also, note how big of an accident all this was. If Molly hadn't gone down so early, Taliesin would've never made Cad, and there's a big chance the Wild Mother never would've entered the story. And all this symbolism never would've lined up so perfectly.

(Though, if Molly had lived and a similar thing had gone down with the Moonweaver, it's worthwhile to note there would've been a familiar thematic lineup, as the moon has its own connection to the tides, the sea, and feminine energy. The same themes wouldn't have been as perfect or overt, but they would've been there.)

It's fucking bananas.

Edited for clarity and less redundancy.

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obligatoryjauneblog · 2 months

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Need an opinion. Topaz or Caduceus? I've got a fic idea I'm rolling around and can't decide. Context: Jaune gets into haven rather than Beacon and ends up 4th to Cinder Merc and Em.

Sticking him with them was Lionheart's way of rebelling against Cinder's plan by putting somebody noticeable with them to draw attention to them, and hopefully get them caught by Oz

Both

Legit do both, have Merc and Emerald subtley fight over his dense ass that culminates in him suggesting they try polyamory.

Or, could have the triangle but ends with him ending up with one over the other. Up to you.

#rwby #jaune arc #mercury black #caduceus #emerald sustrai #topaz

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randoimago · 2 years

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Hello! May I please request headcannons for Vax, Cad, Molly & Ashton with a crush that loves birds? Seeing a hawk or vultures circle in the sky makes them smile, they love to hang out with the chickens whenever the inn they're staying at has them, they collect feathers.. Stuff like that? My bird-nerd ass would love you (more) forever! Thanks bunches!! <3

Having a Crush that Loves Birds

Fandom: Critical Role

Characters: Vax’ildan, Mollymauk Tealeaf, Ashton Greymoore

Type of Request: Headcanons, Spoilers to Campaign 1

Notes: I'm not writing romantic asks for Caduceus!!

Vax

He does have a bit of an attachment to ravens lately so if you want to see one close up, he could probably make it happen.

Absolutely tries to get you matching raven feathers to put in your hair.

Vex has matching feathers with him and you’re his second favorite person so you’ve got to have some of your own.

Considering how his fate is set in stone, he's glad you like birds. He'll be sure to visit you as a raven when he gets a chance.

Molly

Maybe you can find wherever the hell Beau’s hawk flew off to with your love of birds.

Would love to find some peacocks with you. He’s only really seen them when he was traveling with the carnival. I mean, he’s got a whole complicated tattoo based off of that bird.

Might make a couple jokes about having to keep you away from aarakocra or kenku’s. He can’t have you leaving him because he doesn’t have enough feathers.

Yasha tends to collect flowers while traveling. Molly decides to steal that idea but with getting different bird feathers (or he thinks some are different, he's not knowledgeable about birds).

Ashton

You know, good for you liking birds. He likes bird people. Actual birds are menaces. The amount of shit he’s had to wipe off himself...

Since you're such good friends with birds, how about you tell the crows that they can't take his shit, no matter how shiny it is.

Does know quite a few bird people that he can introduce you to to make up for the fact that he fucking hates actual birds.

Seriously, you like birds? Why? How? Yeah, he gets the idea of flying being cool to some people (another thing he hates, flying), but birds? He doesn’t get it.

#critical role x reader #vax'ildan x reader #vax x reader #mollymauk x reader #mollymauk tealeaf x reader #ashton x reader #ashton greymoore x reader

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flashhwing · 1 year

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widowmauk hc: caleb's method of showing love/affection/trust via hair + molly's aesthetic = ever more elaborate hairstyles. molly grows his hair out specifically for the purpose of giving caleb more options. the rest of the nein start to contribute little bits and baubles. veth gives her (second best) buttons, jester paints ribbons, yasha braids flower crowns, beau gets some sick ass metal horn cuffs made (and INSISTS she just found them lying around somewhere i don't know why they fit your horns perfectly molly it's a totally random happenstance shut the fuck up!!!!) caduceus offers some dried insects (molly is totally down but caleb is like NOPE i am not running my hands through hair full of dead bugs) and fjord shyly slides some seashells their way. basically molly's hair becomes a physical manifestation of all the love this found family has for each other, and it all starts with caleb being his impossibly tender self

11/10 i am actually crying this is so good. this is so good. beau doing The Most and insisting she didn't do anything at all actually. molly's hair becoming just a monument of love from his family. caleb putting his foot down about dead bugs just because it's gross. i bet he's cool with alive bugs tho. throw some shiny iridescent beetles in molly's hair it adds to his Mystique

#widomauk #the mighty nein #shiverandqueef #asks #this has been a post

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violent-backed-starling · 1 year

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Critical Role Double Life AU

So this would be the player characters and Essek in the world of Double Life (Minecraft Series)

The Pairings (randomized)

Beau & Tary - Daddy Issues

Veth & Ashton - Alcoholics

Fearne & Pike - Hot Girl Shit

Essek & Jester - Everyone has a Crush on Them

Grog & Caleb - Brains and Brawn

Fjord & Dorian - Shy Charisma Boys

FCG & Bertrand - Old Ass Man & Older Ass Robot

Laudna & Mollymauk - Back from the Dead

Vax & Imogen - Loves a Marisha

Percy & Yasha - Oh, So you have White Hair and Trauma?

Scanlan & Caduceus - All or Nothing

Vex & Orym - Keepers of the Brain Cell

Chetney & Keyleth - Animorphs

So same rules as double life, each couple has 3 lives and they share hp, last pair standing wins!

Beau and Tary take a minute to get along, but eventually they work together okay after bonding over their shitty dads. They spend quite a bit of time with Percy and Yasha. I think they would set up a thoroughly trapped base. I think they build a mansion and winery for their base and make a load of potions. They have an enchanting table for sure. Beau is very much the up close and personal fighter whereas Tary is a little more distant. He sends tnt minecarts and squishes people with anvils.

Veth and Ashton are both suspicious of each other at first, but they still get shit done. They get on better as they spend more time, realizing that at least the other won't stab them in the back. They make a bunker for a base, and stock it with booze, bolts, and fireworks. Veth traps the shit out of it. They are a terrifying combo in battle with Ashton up front and center taking hits and destroying people with his hammer and Veth picking off people from a distance with her crossbow. Veth does still spend a bit of time with Caleb on the side though.

Fearne and Pike get on fairly easily. They are both iconic and get shit done. Fearne loves to spy on everyone else and comes home with drama. She is also an arsonist and we love that for her. Pikey is more restrained in her chaos, but she is still out there causing problems. She sets off more traps than she would like to admit, but miraculously survives most of them. She is a bit better in combat than Fearne is but, they are both very good at surviving fights, even if they don't get the most kills. I think they build up a bakery and hide a bunker underneath it. They also just have several lava traps and fire pits around their home to defend it.

Essek and Jester already know each other and get on well. Together they build a beautiful tower, like the one in Tangled. It has several secret entrances and passageways. Jester seems like the type of person to have an army of tamed wolves. So she absolutely does, they all have special collars and are all named. They are both distance fighters as well so their towers works well to keep them out of harms way whilst they shoot arrows and throw fire charges as well as splash potions. Essek is a fancy lad and I fully believe that he has loads on end crystals and obsidian that he uses as his main weapon. Jester somehow got her hands on a trident (she stole it) and is wreaking havoc with that from the tower. Jester also keeps several bees just because she wants to.

Grog and Caleb get on okay at first, Grog is pretty friendly for the most part, but Caleb is wary of him. I think their base is a tower, but this tower has a bunker at the bottom that serves as a quick restock point for Grog since he is out on the battlefield with his axe wrecking shit. Caleb stays up in the tower mostly, shooting his fire charges, flame arrows, and pouring lava down the sides on the tower. Grog is very excited about all the traps that Caleb cooks up and happily uses his supply of end crystals whenever he can. They work well together.

Fjord and Dorian get on well, but is takes a minute for them to actually trust each other. Their base is a ship sat in the sky floating on clouds. These two are quite versatile in battle. They are good at both ranged and close combat. Fjord has several puffer-fish that he uses in close combat as well as his sword. Dorian uses his axe when in close combat. When at a distance they use their tridents and arrows. Fjord can be impulsive at times, but overall these two are some of the more peaceful members on the group. They don't have many traps set up, but they do have several alliances. They are allied with Beau, Tary, Essek, Jester, Orym, Vex, Caduceus, and Scanlan.

FCG and Bertrand get on alright, not the closest, but they do alright together. They do have the most accessible base out of everyone. It isn't trapped at all, but they are mostly left alone, well, their base is. Bertrand is a tricksy guy and manages to rile up many of the other folks. They don't dislike him, but they don't trust him either. FCG on the other hand is pretty well-liked and trusted. They are not the best in combat, but they seem to come out of it alive. Bertrand does know his way around a sword and FCG has an affinity for his crossbow.

Laudna and Mollymauk get on like a house on fire. They have the cutest home on the server. It is a cottage with a patchwork tent attached to the side. It is cozy and colorful. They have matching friendship bracelets that they made for each other and everything. They of course spend time with Imogen and Vax as well as Yasha and Percy. They spend quite a bit of time together as they wander the land together. If you spot one the other is likely somewhere nearby. As they get closer they swap stories about walking up from death. Molly is their close combat expert whereas Laudna is their sniper. Molly goes around with his swords and Laudna shoots from from far away with a bow.

Vax and Imogen are wary of each other at first, but eventually get on pretty well by the end. They share a house atop a hill where they have a pretty good view of several other people. Imogen has a stable of horses as well. They often ride into battle together, striking fast and retreating before people know what hit them. They often visit Vex and Orym, Keyleth and Chetney, as well as Laudna and Molly. Imogen is more of a distance fighter, but Vax is good either close up or at a distance.

Percy and Yasha eventually grow to trust each other but it starts out a bit rocky as they are both quiet around people they don't know or trust at first. They have a nice castle. Yasha has a beautiful garden and Percy has trapped the land around the castle thoroughly and has made several escape passages. He is already paranoid enough coming into this. Together they build makeshift graves to those they have lost after spending a lot of time together. Percy also makes a load of snipers perches around the map. Yasha goes with him and hides little caches of stuff by each hidden perch so that they are always ready for a fight wherever they are. She also stashes some food in his perches so that he doesn't run out of food. He often helps sharpen her blade and makes her a bunch of little things to help in battle.

Scanlan and Caduceus get on well enough. They respect each other. Caduceus is pretty calm and lives in a small cabin by Scanlan's mansion. Cad keeps a small mushroom garden and makes a load of potions that he shares with most anyone. They don't have any true enemies as they are just kind of vibing. There is usually music playing at their base. Scanlan gets a load of fire charges and end crystals from people just by asking. This man has a silver tongue and he knows how to use it. They don't have many traps, but the ones they have are weird and effective. They have several animals just roaming around their base. Scanlan is ruthless once the get into battle and so is Caduceus, after all, death and violence are very much parts of nature. They are oddly terrifying because of how fast they switch from being welcoming to just killing.

Vex and Orym get on pretty well. They work together extraordinarily well together. They make plans and stick to them. They are another ranged and close combat duo. They share a regular keep, nothing super fancy but it is nice and functional. They have several traps as is to be expected. They know what they're doing. They are good at using terrain to their advantage. Vex perches with her bow and Orym slips through battles causing damage as needed and catching hits on his shield. Vex keeps a few potions on her at all times just in case. They are prepared but not overly so and adapt as needed. Orym respects Vex and she is just happy to have someone who will actually follow the plans she makes, but will make ideas on the fly by himself as needed. They compliment each other, especially in battle.

Keyleth and Chetney take a minute to warm up but they get there, eventually. They have a base that is a huge oak and their basement is a hollow surrounded by roots. They are a bit worried about how flammable their base is as the days pass, but they store most of their better stuff under the earth anyways. They are an absolutely terrifying combo in combat. Chetney is always a wild card and an absolute menace, whereas Keyleth is terrryfying in her raw power and switch from being her more socially awkward, charming self, into a lean, mean, killing machine. These two often talk about their lengthened life spans what that means for Keyleth on top of Chetney's experiences. He gives her a bit of confidence she didn't have before and his rough edges have been softened a bit. They trust each other in battle completely. Sure Chetney will spy on people, dig tunnels under others bases, and steal from people, but he is her ally and they work well together.

Randomized Death Order

Vex & Orym

FCG & Bertrand

Percy & Yasha

Essek & Jester

Grog & Caleb

Fearne & Pike

Grog & Caleb

Fjord & Dorian

Essek & Jester

Chetney & Keyleth

Beau & Tary

Vax & Imogen

Fjord & Dorian

FCG & Bertrand

Laudna & Mollymauk

Grog & Caleb

Vax & Imogen

Scanlan & Caduceus

Fearne & Pike

Scanlan & Caduceus

Laudna & Mollymauk

Chetney & Keyleth

Veth & Ashton

Vex & Orym

Chetney & Keyleth

Laudna & Mollymauk

Scanlan & Caduceus

Vax & Imogen

Fjord & Dorian

Beau & Tary

Veth & Ashton

Percy & Yasha

Essek & Jester

Fearne & Pike

FCG & Bertrand

Vex & Orym

Percy & Yasha

Veth & Ashton

Beau & Tary - Winners!

#critical role #double life au #campaign 1 #campaign 2 #campaign 3 #vox machina #mighty nein #bell's hells #icarus speaks

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