#cr2 meta

[sldlovescartoons]

Just a thought, Essek and Yasha would definitely have some wild-ass conversations about food. Once he got a bit more comfortable and started to get more open to sharing, they would find out that the drow had a lot of opinions about food. Because Essek is a fancy elf, but he’s also a drow who lives in the sundered wastes of the God War. The others think what Yasha eats is weird, but Essek thinks HOW she eats/prepares it is weird. Because the dark elves just refine under dark/wastes ingredients into fancy foods.

“Lights sake, at least fry them first.” Essek says after watching Yasha eat a cricket she just picked up out of the grass before realizing what he said, how much of a dick he sounded like, apologizing, and promptly throwing himself into dissociation for 30 minutes.

They prepare giant spider legs like they WANT to get poisoned. They need to be throughly washed and cooked at VERY high temperatures, you absolute maniac.

The Nein are worried that the two are going to actually come to blows over the proper ways to prepare Rat, and Yasha is insisting on grilling and barbecue and Essek is offended because “When I was 44 the tunnel to our hunting grounds collapsed and the chefs had to supplement all the meats they got from the Underdark with livestock and lots of Rat. They found dozens of ways to cook rat that year, and you have listed none of them! Not even a mention of any cranberry and date fillings- absurd-“

And like everyone is glad Essek’s opening up and they don’t want to put a damper on it but Yasha is actually going to kill him. But they also have no idea how to even approach these conversations at all because they have no stake the Great Fried Cricket Debate.

#critical role #cr2 #cr2 meta #essek thelyss #yasha nydoorin #the mighty nein #ramble #I love them so much

[burningsuitfire]

So thinking about Caleb's accent and how he sounds like Essek and Caleb being bad at accents and Essek's accent undercover and trying to connect all the dots.

Look at it this way. In campaign 2, Matt's Essek voice and accent changed wildly almost every other sentence.

Caleb and Cad (and Jester) had no clue undercover Essek's accent wasn't authentic. They barely noticed he was nervous, let alone faking anything. When they met on the Assembly's boat and Mercer rolled for Dezran where they saw his nerves, they still couldn't catch he was faking a Nicodranas persona (also again pointing out "Thain" was 100% Mercer googling noble names and not meant to be a bad cover) even with Caleb's memory, Caleb and Caduceus's extremely high passive perceptions, and Jester's background as a Nicodranas native.

And then of course Caleb's roll with frumpkin revealed it all, but it took that snooping and very high stealth roll to truly realize, and later Mercer has said he didn't expect them to catch Essek, blaming it on them rolling so high on a number of checks.

In contrast, when Astrid (an established elite spy for 15 years) was disguised and undercover in the lavish chateau, she got her fake Marquesian accent noticed immediately by (very unperceptive) Fjord of all people, who's never even visited the country... and yet he had no clue about Essek's accent or persona.

#cr spoilers #essek thelyss #caleb widogast #shadowgast #dezran thain #astrid becke #caduceus clay #jester lavorre #c2e97 #c2e128 #c2 #campaign 2 #mighty nein #cr meta #cr2 meta

[vox-fantasma]

i’m still not over cr2’s character arcs that in many ways emphasized so much on the art of letting go:

because at it’s core, it is about characters finding the things that they needed - the ideas and ideals they’d clung on to in the early beginnings in order to survive, to keep pushing forward - finding those things, and letting them go. because somewhere along the way, they don’t need it anymore.

jester, whose ideal love was found between the pages of romance books and fantasy, whose endless hope and desperate optimism has been tempered by loss: she’s found something better than perfect. she’s found a family who has their flaws and quirks and ugly sides, but a family who supports each other, who believes in one another in spite of it. she’s found people that love her for who she is, even when that person doesn’t always have the strength to be happy all the time. she’s found fjord, who is as imperfect as they come, who knows the harsh realities of a life of survival and yet tries to give her romance book perfection anyway, because he cares. and in the end, it doesn’t matter that he’s kind of a dork and he has a floppy wrist and he isn’t quite like how she imagined. he’s better. and so it’s okay if her mom and the gentleman don’t immediately fall back together, and that there’s no wedding bells in the distance. they’re complicated, and so is she. and jester, finally, can be okay with that. 

fjord in turn has had his entire arc be, in some ways, about letting power go and being all the better for it. he could have given in to the temptation of taking more and more from the sea, justifying his choices by being able to protect, claiming the title of the Chosen One that unlocked that last temple. instead he throws his sword away. he loses his powers. but he doesn’t lose his friends. he abandons the mask, drops the voice, the pretence, takes veth’s teasing and gives it right back, and he’s surprised. because instead of weakness, all he finds in vulnerability is strength. the strength to admit his limitations and the strength to let people he trusts help from time to time. he has a new patron, one that commands him to grow, not consume. and while he still keeps tabs on sabian, the goal isn’t revenge anymore. it hasn’t been for a long time. 

as for veth, her appearance might be the least notable change throughout her journey. certainly her goal of returning to her own body was achieved, but it’s so much more than that. when we first meet her, she’s disgusted with herself. not only can she not bear to look at her own reflection, she chooses to continually highlight caleb’s strengths and achievements, justifying it to herself - because he’s my best friend, because i can’t do this without him - but also because it’s just that much easier to hide behind his strengths rather than try and acknowledge her own. after all, she’s made out of faults: an alcoholic, a kleptomaniac, aquaphobic - there’s nothing redeemable about her, so why even try? and yet she does. she tries, so very hard, for her friends and her family. she struggles with the responsibility of either and manages to keep both. she thanks wensworth. she gives away her flask. she admits to stealing from the nein. she floats, at peace, in the water. she lets go - and gets so much more in return.

#i wrote this a while back and never got around to actually. yknow. hitting the post button #gonna clear out my drafts to make way for new ones so here i guess!!! #have some campaign 2 meta in the year of our lord Bells Hells #critical role #cr2 spoilers #cr2 meta #jester lavorre #fjord stone #veth brenatto

[sky-scribbles]

OK, but I love that Essek might be appearing in the Mighty Nein series before he meets the Nein! It's not just me wanting More Essek (though I do) or wanting to see more of what was going on with his dealings with the Assembly (which I also do). I think this could be super fucking interesting from a narrative construction standpoint.

Because I cannot see how you can include Essek from early in the series and not make it clear to the audience that he's the Dynasty traitor loooong before the Nein find out. Essek having stolen the beacons will not be a surprise. It looks to me like the cast are swapping out surprise for a fuckton of suspense. (Suspense vs surprise was explained to me when I was studying narrative structure as 'surprise is when a bomb goes off that the audience didn't know was there. Suspense is when they see the bomb being placed and have to sit there begging the characters to realise it's there.' In this analogy, Essek is the bomb.)

When we watched C2, the question was is Essek the traitor? In the M9 show, the question for new watchers will be when will the Nein realise that Essek is the traitor? When Essek meets the Nein, the countdown starts ticking; people will know that he is a danger. He is manipulating them. He is going to hurt them. Will the Nein realise before it's too late? But then Essek starts really befriending them, showing more of his loneliness and vulnerability, and... I think the mood will shift. Oh, shit, he really cares about them, doesn't he? What will the Nein do if they find out? Do I even want them to find out? What if they reject him and it makes him worse? He can't keep this up much longer, this is unbearable, they're going to find out - OH FUCK THEY'RE FINDING OUT -

It's such a fascinating choice and I think it goes to show that adaptation is an art form in itself! The actual events in the world will be the same, or at least very similar, but a new format means you can show those events in a totally new way and create a completely different tone! Narrative structure is the fucking coolest! I'm so excited for this show!

#critical role #cr2 spoilers #mighty nein show #essek thelyss #sorry the narratology nerd in me is jumping out #my cr meta #(him being introduced early is by no means certain but it might be the case! so forgive me I must gush)

[astrid-beck]

the thing about trent's modify memory is that it doesn't really need to work. it's an excuse. it's almost a courtesy. it is a courtesy to give them a good and justifiable reason to kill their parents. in an ideal world he would just say jump and they would already know how high because they memorized it in training. like of course astrid knows it was a lie, of course she doesn't care. and this isn't a fully formed theory or anything but i've always kind of wondered whether astrid EVER had her memory altered--maybe trent just did that to caleb because he knew that caleb needed to believe he was doing something heroic and trent was willing to indulge him. maybe telling astrid and eadwulf "your parents are a danger to the empire" was enough (and true, when you think about it: a volstrucker with no family is harder to blackmail, easier to keep secret, more dependent upon its master). maybe the kindness of modifying caleb's memory was just another form of special treatment. maybe it was favoritism.

#i'm crazy again! #her pity for him in episode 89. i just think about it i do i do think about it #wrote up this post ages ago and then accidentally deleted it and i think this version is worse but hopefully it gets the point across #cr2 #critical role #caleb widogast #astrid beck #lena watches cr #meta

[kermit-coded]

once again thinking about caleb widogast. like, he was brainwashed by someone he was supposed to be able to trust. he murdered his own fucking parents. he has all the makings of a villain. and yet, and YET! he isn't one because he has so much fucking love in his heart, so much love that it broke him. he hates himself so much but he's so desperate for connection that he would immolate a sentient creature because they hurt nott. he hates himself but he keeps going because he doesn't want to let bad things happen again. he is not a good person. he is emphatically not a good person, but however (and this is crucial) he IS a person filled with a deeply vicious, deeply abiding love for the people he considers his.

#soda speaks #caleb widogast #meta #critical role spoilers #critrole #critical role #cr2

[shorthaltsjester]

if i ever have to see another thought piece on the description of the white picket fence outside of fjord and jester’s place in mighty nein reunited indicating jester’s unhappiness in the relationship i will burn the world to the ground.

a) heteronormativity doesn’t exist in exandria !

b) fjord isn’t your Typical Male Love Interest Guy. if i ever have to read someone say that shit again i’m gonna (correctly) assume they haven’t paid attention at all to campaign 2 and any of fjord’s character arc.

c) perhaps, jester lavorre, woman who was raised on the ideology of romance novels and sexuality as exchange, might just find it uh… not a terrible thing that the white picket fence is falling apart outside since… fjord explicitly does Not feel like those romance novels to her, instead he feels comfortable. the way that a brightly painted but rarely used house might, especially when the couple in question spends most of their time adventuring together… which is an essential part of jester’s motivations throughout the campaign.

d) the reason fjord and jester seem unhappy in the reunion might be because, well, uh, whereas everyone else was getting a “vacation”, jester and fjord’s life together (specifically the fact that Fjord Loves Jester Enough To Risk The World (Momentarily) To Save Her) was the inciting action for an apocalyptic demigod being released - they Were unhappy. who wouldn’t be given those circumstances. jester nearly died, and fjord felt like the god that once saved him had now abandoned him, i am so truly sorry that their romance was not satisfactory for your vision of atypical romance (which, by the way, is literally reinforcing the restrictive romantic tropes you think you’re criticizing, so good job i guess). i would be much, much more concerned if jester and fjord Weren’t clearly dismayed.

e) both fjord and jester are individuals whose entire lives and character are defined by the expectation (both external and internal) that they behave and emote a certain way. that they’re in a relationship with someone who they feel that they can show that they are frustrated with or disagree on the layout of their house with or have different ideas on how to deal with the looming threat of a demigod is incredible. jester and fjord are emblematic of a relationship in which the characters Aren’t meant to be, but they Want to be together and they want to understand and support the other person so they work at it. we wouldn’t have conversations like “you seem disheartened..” “i am very disheartened! you almost died!” if they didn’t take the time and care to communicate with one another.

f) if you want a honeymoon era joyful queer romance, yasha and beau are right there! they are explicitly horny and in love and bright about it! if queerness is your measure of “trope breaking” i am very sorry to tell you that queer people partake in white picket fences, and i’d actually argue that in terms of Lifestyle Metaphor, beauyasha are more adherent to the whitepicket fence, nuclear familyism. this isn’t a detriment to them, just, very literally, beau works a 9-5 where she comes back to her housewife who gardens and cooks dinner and their future includes explicit reference to children. comparatively, fjord wants to address some issues in his past, jester is an artist, and both of them are interested in adventure for the foreseeable future.

g) if you truly think that a single part of laura’s description of the part-time abode of fjord and jester overrides every interaction and choice that both laura and travis make towards fjord and jester caring for each other in a deep and meaningful way that goes beyond the weird fandom constructed Man/Woman characters being portrayed by a married couple i truly, Truly have no idea why you even watch the many hours of content that cr is when you could… play/write your own shit.

#usually i would simply block and ignore but! i got one of those weird twitter recommended tweet notifs #and there were far too many likes #also like. ppl talk about that home as if it is where fjord and jester are living their everyday life #they are on the ship most of the time. of course it’s downtrodden and illlooked after. they are adventuring. they’re writing their own story #fjord #fjord stone #jester lavorre #fjord + jester #fjorester #critical role #cr2 #mighty nein #cr meta #kinda #i’m not tagging this discourse because it’s stupid and against my principles if u don’t like this block me :) #the mighty nein

[defilerwyrm]

OKAY OKAY OKAY OKAY obviously I’m climbing the walls and biting the ceiling over the Shadowgast feast we’re all devouring right now BUT ALSO Caleb setting up monthly meet-ups in the tower?? SO GOOD.

One of the things I’ve seen folks yowl about (and I say this affectionately, because I’ve been kinda :C about it too) was the impression a lot of us got at the end of C2 was that they all just scattered to the wind with the exception of the couples, and didn’t seem to be much of a part of each other’s lives. It kinda felt, for a certain reading, that the family broke up. And for a lot of reasons, that’s kinda hard to swallow.

But Liam just waltzed right in and said, “No, you know what, they DO keep up with each other and they ARE a continuous part of each other’s lives, they DON’T just all walk away after being so important to each other and accomplishing so much.”

What a gift Liam just gave us with a few words!

#caleb widogast #the mighty nein #critical role #mighty nein reunited #cr2 #cr spoilers #critical role spoilers #critical role meta #plz how do i fandom

[nellasbookplanet]

I find it really funny that I've seen multiple people joke about how the incredibly wary, suspicious mighty nein would have figured out Dusk's deal right away, while the more trusting bell's hells didn’t even bother with an insight check because you are all very, very right.

And it brings to mind what I talked about during exu calamity, about how in fiction there’s really no such thing as an inherently negative trait. Whether a trait has a positive or negative outcome depends wholly on the narrative it is in. A tragedy is only a tragedy because the hero is in the wrong story.

In the mighty nein's narrative, suspicion and wariness were traits to overcome. They caused nothing but strife and tensions within the group (Nott stealing from Fjord, Fjord and Molly both threatening Caleb, Caleb and Molly both being pressured into revealing their backstories before they were ready, Beau and Caleb's bowlgate clash, the list goes on). They were handed suspicious npc after suspicious npc, and were always rewarded once trusting them (Yussa, the Gentleman, Artagan, even Essek). Their villains were always openly villains, even the ones they briefly worked with such as Lucien and Avantika. The nein could only come together once they learned to trust each other, and once that lesson had been learned and made an integral part of the story, it would have been cruel to turn it against them. Thus, campaign 2 became a story about the rewards of extending trust.

The Bell's Hells, meanwhile, started out as much more trusting. Backstories were revealed much earlier, and never by force. There have been very little inter-group conflict, and what there have been (Laudna and Imogen's argument, Chetney's initial antagonism toward Dorian) are of a very different nature. If anything, for the Bell's Hells to truly come together they are going to need to be pushed and challenged from the outside (Dusk, Delilah depending on how you see it) because they aren’t as likely to push each other the way the nein did unprompted.

#time to ramble about narratives again #i also find it interesting that the most wary member of bells hells #(imogen) #is so used to people being unable to hide anything from her psychic abilities that she trusts almost to easily #critical role #cr3 #cr2 #critical role meta #nella talks cr

[valakiir]

So i was looking at the official moorbounder art and it's starting to bug me. It's a really cool design, don't get me wrong, i do like it, but the length / positioning of the tusks just seemed off to me for some reason. I think i finally figured out why!

(Official art above)

((The biologist in me is speaking now, prepare for me to dive into the practicalities of dnd monsters))

The moorbounder's tusks arc up and back, appearing to grow from the lower jaw. They seem to spiral a little like ram horns imo. Looking at them, trying to infer what their purpose is, there are a couple options. The curve of the tusk means it doesnt work well as a cutting or holding feature -- the tips are pointed too far back and around bc of the spiral shape. Assuming they are like ram horns, they could be used similarly in territorial fights. They could also be used, in a similar vein, to bludgeon opponents with the side of their heads. Again the curve of the tusk means it wont pierce anything in front of it. It would be difficult to pierce /anything/ with them.

My second thought was that they were used for defence. Looking at where that curve places the tusk in relation to the rest of the head, it could easily function as protection for the eyes (this could also be why their pupils are such a unique shape -- to avoid having a massive blind spot on the sides of their heads). Moorbounder eyes, looking at them now, are not actually placed forward on the head, the norm of ground predators (birds of prey have their own reasons behind their anatomy). This means they are likely not the top of the food chain -- even that they have a different creature predating frequently on them that they need to watch for. The small ears imply they do not rely heavily on hearing (they have little to help funnel noise into the ear canal), so im going to make the assumption they rely primarily on scent to hunt -- but this is getting off topic. The lack of large ears may also have developed due to their agressive nature -- less skin to get caught or torn in a fight. The tusks might be a large enough curve to protect the ears, even. It is difficult to tell exactly from the art. Another point toward the tusks acting as a guard for the sides of the head.

Another option is that they are used to attract mates. Natural selection just encouraging larger tusks until we have what is shown in the art.

This is not what bothers me. The problem I have is how far the tusks extend /forward/. From what I can tell, the forward curve of the tusks reach about the tip of the nose. This is another hint that they might be used in a forward bludgeoning motion, however there is a problem with this. How are they supposed to bite? The tusks would press against anything the moorbounder is reaching for and hold it away. There are long whiskers extending from the nose, I'm assuming, with great confidence, to feel past those tusks.

My theory is that the curve of those tusks, while /natural/, is not actually observed in wild moorbounders. My guess is while those tusks grow continuously throughout the moorbounder's life, they are worn down through use. Captive moorbounders would likely not have to grind down on bone or protective plating -- their food is provided for them. Nor would there be any need to, say, mark territory by scratching the tusks against trees or other landmarks. If this is the case, wild moorbounders would have much shorter tusks, tusks that would actually be useful in biting, cutting, and holding. Moorbounders are agressive enough, filing their tusks down would be very difficult -- down right dangerous -- and because they are used primarily as mounts, not pit-fighters, the chore is easier neglected.

Another option, of course, is that the full curve of the tusks is a mark of age, and only seen in captivity because moorbounders don't live that long in the wild. This would be because it gets more and more difficult to catch prey as the tusks grow. The oldest moorbounders would essentially die of starvation. This means they live /much/ longer in captivity.

Yet another possibility is that the tusks are not teeth or horn -- they are like antlers. If those large tusks are grown and shed in a mating season when they are most aggressive, it would make sense that they would want to protect the head. It means moorbounders would not be able to eat during that period of time, but this is not unheard of in nature.

If the tusks grow from the upper jaw, this whole arguement is rendered largely irrelevant btw, and i will hide in my corner in embarrassment if that was actually addressed. They would still be inconvenient, but not prohibitive.

Overall, i am of the opinion wild moorbounder tusks are much shorter due to use, and irresponsible ownership is the reason we see the large curving tusks in the official art.

I appreciate you coming to my TED talk.

#ttrpg #kiri is a biologist #moorbounders #cr2 #cr meta #just me over analyzing dnd creatures #love me some watsonian worldbuilding #kiri speaks

[pocketgalaxies]

maybe this is not actually interesting. but i think it's so cool for marisha to say that she as a player had been waiting for someone to come along and tell beau that being witnessed shouldn't be the reason she does good. just because i think it's cool how she's willing to let beau sit in that place until something moves her, even when she can identify where beau needs to go and probably will go next. the patience and the trust in where the world will take her! and creating this woman and letting her out into the wild and watching over her but not forcing her to change when her experiences haven't dictated that yet. cool!!

#18m TM2x54 #text #critical role #cr2 #talks machina #cr lb #marisha ray #beauregard lionett #marisha ray supremacy #cr meta #nova shh

[sldlovescartoons]

Some Professor Widogast thoughts:

So, you know about how weird it is to see a teacher outside of a school setting? That’d definitely be a thing with the Academy students, but at least for most of the Professors it was at normal places like the market or at Balls or whatever. Not Caleb, though, or well yess also then but also other times.

Like you’re a fancy rich kid, you go to fancy wizard school, and you’re doing a rebellion by sneaking out to this underground club with these crazy new age bards and a bar and a fight ring. You feel so badass and then you get there and your Transmutation 101 teacher is there, drunk, getting playfully grinded on the left and right by a purple tiefling and a married halfling that’s husband is dancing on her- and you just leave. Just right away. You don’t even have time to notice Expositor Lionnet trying to get to second base with her wife right behind them.

One student is from a prominent land owner in the Zemni Fields, their family goes to Blumnethal’s festivals to set up stands to sell wares and have a good time. They go to a fight pit that they hear is really cool, they have a keg stand and everything, and they get there and their teacher who’s pushing 40 and teaches their ‘Advanced Components 205’ every Wednesday is doing a keg stand, being held upside down by a blue tiefling and a half orc dressed like they stepped out of smut book with a sea theme, while two scary looking lesbians and and Halfling in sundress cheer him on. And when they let him down, the whole group immediately jumps into the fighting ring and destroy the competition even though the Halfling looks like they are too drunk to see and none of them are in decent gear. The group gets bored right away, start a three way shoulder war/chicken fight, which goes to hell right way because they all try to cheat. The Monk has their Professor in some sort of leg lock when the student’s father drags them out.

A student’s family goes on summer vacation to Nicodranas. To their horror, they find out that Professor Widogast and his friends don’t believe in bathing suits when they go to the beach.

The best part? Everytime something like this happens, nobody believes it.

#critical role #cr2 #the mighty nein #caleb widogast #Professor Widogast #headcannon #meta #ramble

[neinofthem]

essek grew up in a heavily restrictive religious society that exposed him to light (pain) to bring him closer to holiness which is what makes him close off and when he finally opens up its jester (a cleric, a ‘holy’ woman) who gives him a parasol to protect him from that pain. like he doesn’t have to suffer meaninglessly and even through his self hatred he takes it and uses it to make her happy, healing himself in the process by kindness to another (when he is so convinced that he is selfish inherently and cannot do good for the pure sake of its existence). dear fucking god i am. Unwell.

#he’s allowed to spare himself pain through the kindness of others #literally put me down #critical role #essek thelyss #cr #the mighty nein #mighty nein #tm9 #cr2 #essek cr #essek #shadowhand essek #jester lavorre #critical role meta #cr meta

[somewhatsentientspellbook]

How Ludinus used Delilah Briarwood to further his agenda

Do you know what would be interesting to me? If it was revealed that Ludinus “Incapable Of Minding His Own Damn Business” Da’leth was also connected to the Briarwoods, and by extension, Vecna.

Delilah was a member of the Cerberus Assembly, and during her time she had been dabbling in necromancy; something considered VERY illegal in the Empire. She worked alongside some of the most ruthless and cunning individuals on the face of Exandria, and yet she somehow managed to get away with her necromantic experimentation? I don’t buy it. Even if she had the rest of the Assembly fooled, someone like Ludinus would have noticed what was going on. Here’s the thing, he had nothing to gain from exploiting that knowledge, so he wouldn’t have been interested in revealing it. But you know when he did decide to use that information?

After she had lost her husband and fallen into debt with The Whispered One.

The thing is, it’s not like Vecna whispered “find my lab 50km east of fuckaround and 20km south of findout.” Vecna is vague and secretive, and Delilah would have needed to earn his information. Matt confirmed that she had gone searching for a while (in other words, Delilah would have needed help). So, where did she find the information? The people with the knowledge, who would have had any idea of the location of the Whispered One’s ancient sanctum?

Perhaps an elf older, and more powerful than all the rest, with an interest in secrets and a deep understanding of Exandrian history?

So, let’s run with the idea that Ludinus told Delilah where the mysterious laboratory was. What happens after she resurrects Sylas?

The Cerberus Assembly and Cobalt Soul discover she was a necromancer, brand her a traitor, expel her from the assembly, and begin a manhunt for her and her husband. This forces the Briarwoods to retreat to Port Damali, and then to Tal’Dorei in hopes of releasing Vecna. The events of the narrative then happen as they would normally (with the fall of the de Rolo’s and VM liberating Whitestone years later).

But the question remains – why would Ludinus do that? If he is as knowledgeable about Exandrian history, he would have surely known that the Whispered One planned to become a god. Why would he forgo his hatred of the pantheon to plant the seeds of another ascension?

Let’s think about the implications of this. Ludinus wants to show the world that his way is the best (and only) way. He wants to create loyal followers who hate the gods, and what would make you hate divinity more than a mortal ascending and using their newfound power to take over the world? To target Vasselheim of all places? To repeat (beat by beat) the events that led to the Calamity?

And perhaps it was a test. Ludinus knows that the gods sealed themselves behind the divine gate, but how do you get something that large on our side to the other? Vox Machina managed to seal Vecna away, but what if doing so weakened the gate, or revealed its potential weaknesses for Ludinus to exploit?

Come to think of it, this may explain why Ludinus’ own damn annex got away with being involved in the Angel of Irons cult until the M9 went straight to the king with that information. Because by destroying the shackles, the Chained Oblivion would be powerful enough to start exploiting weaknesses in the divine gate.

Anyway, I think it’d be cool if Ludinus had somehow manipulated a necromancer, vampire, and lich-turned-god into playing a part in his long-con. It wouldn’t be totally out of the realm of possibility after all.

#either i'm right or ludinus is so focused on his plan that he doesn't pay attention to what subclass his colleagues picked #critical role #critical role spoilers #cr theory #critical role theory #cr meta #cr1 #cr2 #cr3 #wildemount #whitestone #vox machina #the mighty nein #bells hells #ludinus da'leth #sylas briarwood #delilah briarwood #the whispered one #vence nuthaleus #the chained oblivion #cerberus assembly #cobalt soul #exandrian lore #in case you couldn't tell this is a ludinus da'leth hate blog

[otterlyart]

Fun thought.

With people complaining how it’s not a ‘bell hell’s’ show anymore and how they didn’t get to do anything blah blah, I actually thought of LOTR

Yknow hobbits? Those little guys no one thought important? Cuz they can’t fight like elves or dwarfs or do magic like Gandalf or be Super Important like a secret king? Yeah those are our level 8 bells hells.

They’re not Voice of the Tempest or Secret Order Super Monk to fight corruption or a dunamatic wizard turning dragon.

They’re level 8.

But yknow what, they destroyed a key. They have connections. They have loyalty and friendship. They’re tough. They’re the little guys. And if people are gonna underestimate them? Well, we all know how the last story turned out.

I maybe be biased (I know an embarrassing amount about LOTR) but I think you're on to something anon.

Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein are powerful heroes who can shape the world around them. At this point, they're all basically demigods.

And then you have Bells Hells, a ragtag group of people who didn't quite fit anywhere else. And despite being so small in the overall scope of things, still stare down death with the same voracity as people huge power levels above them.

And that's what really makes them compelling. That's why this is their story, despite cameos and mentions of previous campaigns. Because while the old guard's spells and power are great, they are nothing in the face of this small group's sheer will.

And that's what campaign three is about.

No matter how small you are, and how limited your options seem, you always have the capacity to create change.

And to be fair, doesn't everyone seem small when facing the end of the world?

#anon #replies #bells hells #cr spoilers #cr1 spoilers #cr2 spoilers #cr3 spoilers #critical role meta #Sorry for the late response!!! I missed this in the chaos of the other night!! #boy i have thoughts #and here's the thing #Campaign 1 will always be my baby #it's my first campaign #and my favorite #BUT #the story of those characters is over. They still interact with the world but this is no longer their narrative #I love them so so dearly #but they've had their happy endings #and now its time for Bell's Hells to find their own #critical role spoilers #criticalrolespoilers

[widogastc]

fjord loves his friends so much he becomes a miracle bringer does that make sense he is like. his love is a miracle for himself and those around him. he loves so much it ends up outweighing everything he hated so much about himself to the point where he just. he just creates miracles. cad himself said it. somebody will wish for a miracle and you will be there. and then he is. over and over and over again. he is... i dont like the word saviour. i dont like the word devine either. he is just simply a protector. and he goddamn makes sure to do everything in his power, divine or cursed or mundane, powerless or not, to be there whenever he is needed..... does any of this make sense. i can't make words click when it comes to the shrimp emotions fjord makes me feel sorry

#cr #fjord stone #cr2 #critical role #is this meta? #this feels more like rambling to me #idk #meta.rot #txt