#as much as i love fearne and orym and i DO think she's helped him for the better...fearne is not a very grounding person

[finncakes]

"I'd be up shit's creek by myself. I was by myself. It's not great."

"Yeah. No, it's not."

#critical role #orym of the air ashari #orym #ashton greymoore #cr spoilers #ashrym #biting and gnawing my leg off i WILL be thinking abt this for the next month #and YEs i do think ashton has some sorta something feelings going on for orym. no i will not elaborate i just know these things #it's my autism enhanced perception. i know what ashton is. #on a non-ashrym related note: SO glad someone FINALLY checked on orym #also glad i wasn't reading into things thinking ashton was noticing orym being off. he made some Faces that i hoped meant they noticed. #orym needed someone to say this to him. he needs someone to keep him grounded. #as much as i love fearne and orym and i DO think she's helped him for the better...fearne is not a very grounding person #but that's what's good about her #i think ashton could be a very good gronded person for orym. platonically or romantically. #as much as ashton likes to toot their horn abt being unstable and wild and chaotic... #they're probably the most level-headed and grounded after orym #they're more likely to pick the more chaotic choice but they do it in such a calm and chill way y'know? #i have a lot of ashton thoughts. i think he's so wrong to have raised his hand esp after fcg's freakout. #he didn't raise a hand against them #okAY I WILL. stfu now byeeeee

[professorthaddeus]

aaaagh it’s been five hours since the episode ended and i should really be asleep but i’m still up thinking about how horribly painful fearne and orym’s deaths were because !! they literally spent that entire battle watching their friends die around them. FUCK.

orym, our ever-watchful soldier, our protective little fighter who has spent every moment since he lost his family keeping both eyes open in steady vigilance--always the first to step in front of his friends, always on the lookout for any threat, always careful, always determined, always on task. liam said that orym died with a heavy sense of failure, and god, i can’t imagine the magnitude of that feeling. he died failing to keep his friends safe from the threat he was sent to eliminate. he died without completing the mission he swore to see through for his leader, for dad, for will. he couldn’t even get the word out to dorian in the end, couldn’t give him the closure of final words, of one last assurance of love. he died by the sword of the enemy he hadn’t even known until it was too late.

fearne, oh fearne, who still had so much left to live for. fearne, who loved so fiercely in her own way that once she bonded with someone she considered them hers. fearne, watching those people she’d collected like precious treasures scattered far from her reach and dropping like flies. fearne, who once cried “but i don’t know if i want to be without orym,” who had just seen him perish, unable to help. fearne, with so many questions about her past and so much left to explore, who already missed out on a lifetime with her parents, who will never get the chance to find out for herself what a relationship with them could be. fearne, who loved the one who raised her as a best friend and missed the feywild so bad she almost went back with a near stranger, who died without a chance to see her grandma morri and her home one more time.

and do not get me started on laudna (she’s fine, she’s gonna be FINE) going unconscious with the belief that imogen was going to have her life stolen from her one way or another, with the sinking knowledge that she wasn’t able to secure imogen’s happiness--that the one purpose laudna found for herself in this second chance at life would never be fulfilled.

even if this is temporary, i have to believe it was temporary, it was horrific, and they spent their final moments in despair, and i’m not okay

#cr spoilers #critical role #orym #fearne calloway #laudna #i still couldn't muster enough brain cells to manage a full fic so here have my feelings barfed up on my screen isntead #c3e33 #my meta #my ramblings #cr meta

[c-is-for-circinate]

God I have so much to say about the mechanics of the Delilah fight, and how they relate to the emotions and the themes of what was going on, and how the new ruleset of, nobody here can die but once you're out you can't come back either changed everything. And I can't get my thoughts straight, so: bullet points!

I think it mattered a lot when FCG went. I think it mattered because it was proof that they weren't all going to be here until the end of the battle, because it changed the way they were looking at the math -- and I think it mattered because FCG is the main party healer, and not having him there completely upended the math. Recovery was not going to be a thing! Not with the kind of hits Delilah was throwing around, and the tiny amounts of healing they had left. Damage race was all they had.

(Honestly, the best thing I can liken it to is a roguelike video game, where you know you're probably going to die, and you know all you'll lose are the things you didn't have to begin with. The goal of survival, then, isn't to safeguard your own welfare -- it's because if you die, you can't win. And oh did they need to win.)

And this is SO DIFFERENT from the Otohan fight! It's the exact opposite! Everything there was about the potential for death and the fear of it. Everything in that fight was about the defensive play, the cruel horrible math of, if I save myself what will protect my friends? If I don't save myself, how will I help them? Can I even help them at all anyway? The only way for them all to survive the Otahan fight was for all of them to survive the fight, and they didn't, because they couldn't!!!

And so oh, how much this feels like redemption for that. How this triumph feels like a triumph not just against Delilah, but against their every failure last time.

(FCG, their healer who survived the end to the last time -- who was short on spells because he tried to kill them that morning, who healed too little and too late because he was so afraid of himself -- who made the choice at the end, who to save and how, and hated it! -- FCG who's short on spells now because he prepared only for a resurrection, not to kill. FCG who fights and heals with all they've got, who clears the minions in a single blow the way none of them could stop Otohan's shadows. Who gets to leave early, absolved from decisions, from responsibility, given a break.)

(Orym, who felt so very very useless last time -- who tried to get up and tried to get up and failed and failed and fell again -- who died, who died and saw the person he loved most in the world for one gentle second, while Laudna ended up here -- who died, and got the chance to come back that could have been hers. Orym who spends this fight trying to get up, not to his feet but to the crown of a tree, who fails and fails and makes it this time. Orym who strikes a killing blow, the first killing blow, who rends the tree's crown asunder. Orym who dies again, still safe but without taking anybody's time, attention, magic, any of it away from the fight at hand for his sake.)

(Fearne who didn't know what to do, Fearne who had to flip a coin! Fearne who panicked and ran and muddled and didn't know, didn't know, she's not from this world! People don't suffer and die like this where she's from, in the world where archfey are immortal and time is soup! Fearne who didn't know didn't know didn't know, being the one to figure it out. The one to leash Delilah to the ground. The first one to target the tree. The one with the power to make it burn.)

(Ashton the tank, whose job it is to take hits -- Ashton the battlefield control barbarian who couldn't control a goddamn thing -- Ashton who ran, last time. Ashton who made it out only to discover that nobody else made it with them, Ashton who left them behind -- got to stay. Got thrown to the edge of the battlefield, off the map, and made it back. Ashton handing Imogen his only potion, I'll stay as long as I can, getting to protect this time.)

(Chetney who was maybe the only one actually with it, last time, tooth and claw and blood hunter curses to the very end. Chetney doing the same now again. Chetney who I still can't quite figure out, who didn't have anything to redeem but the loss.)

And Imogen. Of course, of course, Imogen.

Imogen's fury. Imogen's wrath.

Imogen calling down the moon. Imogen grabbing her power with both hands and bending it to her will. Imogen using every last ounce of magic that Otohan forced her into, when she was terrified and confused and cringing and trying to surrender rather than fight -- using it to rend Delilah asunder. To shatter a tree with lightning. Imogen blazing and brilliant and unafraid.

And all of them, together. Working together. Spreading out, each to their own jobs. To get to Laudna; to take down minions; to harry, to draw fire, to bind Delilah, to get to the tree, to throw damage. Nobody in anybody else's way, nobody scattered at cross-purposed confusion, everybody perfectly united in this one goal. The Bell's Hells, raining down hellfire, together.

At the end of it all, I'm still struck down by the fact that the one person they were at risk of losing with this fight was the one person they'd already lost. The only life in danger here was Laudna's. There was no risk to any of them, if they failed. But they fought. They fought with everything they had. They spent everything they had to spend, the potions they might not get back upon waking, every ounce of energy, the very last spell slot that wouldn't be able to take them home. They had nothing to lose that wasn't already lost, and it meant they could throw everything into the fight. And it was beautiful.

#cr spoilers #c3e27 #critical role

[neverafuckgiven]

So I finally watched the rest of the latest Campaign 3 episode. I don't really get all of the fuss the fans were making, saying all of the cast were mad at Taliesen? Like we've all been at that table where someone takes a big risk and being stressed the fuck out, but it's not friendship ending for fucks sake. They were worried and upset, but they don't hate him. I'm wondering if these fans watched the same episode?

On a calmer note, this episode both stressed me out and made me so ridiculously happy. We got a Callowmoore kiss (although I don't know how much I'm reading into it/it didn't feel necessarily romantic to me) and some very sweet moments between them.

We got Imogen and Laudna having a very heartbreaking scene where Laudna wants Imogen to move on and Imogen actually goes to the Dawnfather's temple. She's never done that before, willingly prayed or sought comfort in a god, but she is that afraid of losing Laudna.

Ashton's whole scene at the end? It's just interesting that Ashton says they're a team and they never leave anyone behind, but I don't know if he genuinely thought he'd be strong enough to handle the shard on his own or if he didn't want to put anyone else through that. They wanted it to just be him and Fearne, but his whole family ran to help them (chetney less so but I get it) and they're the ones that kept Ashton from falling apart. (it's a metaphor maybe, probably not intentionally)

(also when Imogen tries to pull Orym out, he doesn't go. He eventually backs away "probably not fast enough" I think is what Liam says, but Orym looks so fucking devastated "why did he do that" Orym's background dialogue and expressions were amazing and terrible ugh)

Also Deanna's ring saving Ashton. Deanna. Cleric of the Dawnfather. Who gave Chetney that ring out of love. FCG and Fearne staying to heal Ashton repeatedly despite the risk. Their friends rushing forward and doing whatever they can to save them

Look, I am both okay and not okay

#critical role #cr spoilers #spoilers #cr campaign 3 #Ashton x orym #ashrym

[thecavernsabove]

okay now i just want to talk about my expectations versus why i have ended up liking certain characters because i am just so intrigued by everything these people and characters do. for bells hells, i went into it knowing i would love ashton because they are the reason I started watching, i didn't think i would really latch onto any other character, apart from maybe fearne because she's a satyr and i am particularly partial to satyrs, and imogen because i mean it's laura bailey!

but what actually happened, is that yes i did get super attached to ashton of course i did, but my top three quickly became ashton, orym and laudna (and as someone who started being able to watch live at the split you can imagine how devastated i was). and recently chetney is really creeping up there. i do love all the characters dearly though.

ashton just reminds me of myself so much, apart from the fact that they are much braver than i could ever be, and blunter too. i wish i could be them and also see all my faults in them. its a lot.

orym was my first introduction to liam o'brien and his devastating little guys (more on caleb later), and just his backstory and the way he deals with people intrigues me so much and i want to see him happy so bad.

laudna oh laudna. marisha ray you have ruined me. even going into this with my minimal knowledge of the briarwoods, her backstory reveal was so intense and it hurt. also, creepy unnerving girlies stick together! she's iconic.

chetney is so wild to me i love him so much. he is so intensely gender as well i love him so much. i love gruff and grumpy characters that are actually nice once you are more friendly with them.

imogen. i will say it took a little bit for her to grow on me but i do love her. i think the bassuras dusk stuff really helped me like her more. also her immense power and lightning scars are pretty cool if you ask me.

fearne. i love how sweet she is and the stuff like being bad at lying and also just stealing little things here and there was really fun. but what made me like her more was when she got more serious and i didn't expect that (foreshadowing for later!)

fcg. now, i still have, mixed? feelings for fcg. in a sense of i dont hate the character but i think the character arc is not something im too interested in, but i do still like them. the stuff with frida was very nice, and i do like the bits that they do - but i think there still feels like there is something missing for me somewhat.

now, with the mighty nein, i had an inkling on who i would like. i thought caleb certainly because we seem very similar, molly maybe because i liked ashton so hey i might like this taliesin character too! and that was it really. going into it though, because i had seen so much of jester (talking about her and cosplays mostly) i thought that she would be probably my least favourite because her personality didn't seem to really gel with what i usually like in characters. but here i am, on the other side with my favs being caleb, fjord, and jester! it was so much watching everything for the first time, even with knowing the big spoilers and then looking at more minor spoilers so i knew somewhat what would happen - but i do that with a lot of things, its different knowing what happens versus actually watching and experiencing what is happening.

caleb. caleb widogast is such an intense character and i loved every minute i spent with him. i spent so much time checking when i would finally see the nein sided tower of his and watching liam describe everything for an hour was so incredible i was in awe. i truely love that dirt wizard so much.

fjord was a truly unexpected character for me to fall for. the first time i realized that i was going to love him though was when they were in the one politicians house early in the campaign and he held his sword to caleb to make sure he wasn't fucking with them. then seeing his growth, the accent change, and just his whole deal i was enraptured. i do miss the southern eldritch blast though.

jester oh my goodness did she creep up on me. i think her initial cuteness that i had experienced throughout just existing on the internet put me off for some reason but i don't know why. however i did quickly fall in love with her, when she had one of her more sinister/serious moments early on. i don't remember what it was but i remember thinking oh. /oh./ okay. i love her. and then her relationship with her mama, and artie, gosh i just loved watching laura bailey do literally anything. the cupcake bit! also the sprinkle bit is quite funny. i also just love doing her voice when im talking to myself. she is also the reason that i take a decent amount of damage spells with my current cleric.

beau. i think i thought that i would have liked her more than i did (don't get me wrong i liked her a lot but she is not in my top three), but she is incredible. as a fellow monk pc i do love going the extra mile with those stunning strikes, and also seeing her relationship with yasha blossom was so lovely. and her bro relationships with fjord and caleb were also some of my favourites.

yasha. after starting with campaign three, it was really hard to not see ashley all the time and i remember having to look on the wiki while watching to check when she would come back every time she left. i think i really started to like her more after her she got taken, and went through that big arc, and we were around her more often. i loved watching her dreams. i loved watching her so much.

veth was so unexpected are you kidding me?? i will say i have yet to have a sam character be in my top three but god he knows how to throw an emotional punch and i love that kind of stuff. i love her relationship with caleb, the detective agency, the chaos crew. i love her arc of getting herself back, of seeing her family again. ough. im a big lover of families.

caduceus. goodness gracious me what a character. i just absolutely loved the aesthetic and caduceus's whole relationship to how he approaches death. he is also the reason i started playing a grave cleric in a newer campaign. but truly, has made me think differently about death - which was especially needed for me this year.

mollymauk. i knew he was dead. i knew he would die. but that didn't make me any less upset when it happened! i think about him often, what could have been. especially since i was so sure he took the wrong amount of damage in that fight and should not have quite have been knocked out at that time. but his whole maximallist aesthetic is something i very much enjoy, and i love the through line of his cards with jester.

wow okay this has gotten to be very long but i need to get my thoughts about everyone out somewhere!! if you've read this far im so sorry this is so much of my own ramblings.

#critical role #cr #bells hells #mighty nein #ashton greymoore #orym of the air ashari #fearne calloway #chetney pock o'pea #imogen temult #laudna #fcg #caleb widogast #fjord stone #jester lavorre #beauregard lionett #yasha nydoorin #veth brenatto #caduceus clay #mollymauk tealeaf #my ramblings

[towards-toramunda]

I just saw this post: https://www.tumblr.com/multifandom-damnation/734280499157221376/laudna-who-died-in-such-a-terrible-violent-way and as an Ashton and Laudna fan I'd love to hear your thoughts because I feel feral tbh

Heyo I just read through the post, and I honestly don’t know how I feel. Like I agree, but I don’t? Cause this time Ashton woke up surrounded by people who are pissed and angry and distrustful towards him, but they stayed and thats gotta count for something.

Last time Ashton was abandoned out of self preservation from the other nobodies. He didn’t do anything morally wrong, just got caught in a trap that left them on the ground bleeding out as a liability, but this time they fucked over their friends and they know it. They hurt the bell’s hells and they KNOW it, and yet the hells stayed.

But its also more complicated than that because right after coming back Fearne tried to bash his head in and break their hammer, FCG told them they didn’t think he cared about anyone but themselves, Chet told him to leave, Laudna ran away because the eldritch horrors in her mind were making her want to kill him, and Orym didn’t say a word (I know its bc Liam was out but… for character reasons Orym has been silent to Ashton).

But Imogen, angry as she was, just wanted to understand why he did it. Stayed with them even as Laudna ran off clearly not okay. She cared. FCG, even as upset as he was, stayed, explained how he felt and why he felt that way, and asked for better. Chet was harsh as hell, but when Ashton stayed and committed even in a small way to be better he was the first to back them up. Fearne talked to them, and came back, and is still very very angry, but there’s a possibility for growth. And Laudna, after running away from them for fear of betrayal and becoming murderous, made them a doll. She made them something they’ve never had before. She wouldn’t do that if she didn’t care for him (I think thats why they cried. Because he did this shitty thing, but she made him a gift and that showed she cared). She called him a child and said she likes children. (And Orym still hasn’t talked but… we’ll hopefully get to that next episode).

So… yes? It’s bad that Ashton didn’t wake up after dying a second time surrounded by loving friends who went to the ends of exandria for them like Laudna, and maybe they’ll hold some kinda resentment about that, but (unlike Laudna’s second coming) he’s surrounded by friends who he severely fucked over but they stayed.

They told him he could stay.

That they wanted to make things better.

They paused their very important mission to scout on the moon and prevent the end of the world to go on a feywild vacation because they wanted the group to be okay. Even after Ashton fucked up so fucking much.

And isn’t that in itself just fucking beautiful?

Isn’t that proof of some kinda love? Of family even?

I’m not saying Ashton isn’t in a bad place right now they obviously are, but their friends have just proved that they’re not leaving him if they can help it.

#this isn’t meant to be discourse with the post mentioned because two opinions can exist at the same time #I’m just guessing how Ash feels about this #and I could be wrong! #who’s to say #critical role #cr spoilers #ashton greymoore #cr3 #bells hells #cr meta

[meid4]

Why are Bells Hells

i was thinking about people saying that Bells Hells didn't have any reason to stay together or go on the moon mission so here is me getting some answers to it even if there is more i'm sure !

Imogen :

She started the campaign by wanting to know more about her mother, find her and so even if she has found her mom once, i think she would want to stop her now bc she knows she is with the bad guys. She feels involved.

She gets her powers from the moon, from predathos and she wants to know more about her powers and going on the moon would help her understand who she is more.

She wants to kill Otohan because she killed Laudna who she loves very much and otohan is part of "the release predathos team" so it gives her the want to stop it.

She grew also as a recluse at some point because her own dad didn't talk to her anymore and the town hated her so now that she has met people that understands her, she also tries to make things to work with them.

Laudna :

She has been following Imogen for years now, they have been going from town to town and she just wants to stay with her friend (now lover), someone that accepts her and just be with her wherever Imogen goes.

She always wanted to belong, she enjoys being with a group that accepts her, that she can be herself with and if these people want to save the world, she wants to protect them and stay beside them.

Her life was taken at such a young age and was a recluse for many years and now she is finally enjoying seeing the world and meeting new people, she is always happy when they go somewhere new.

Orym :

Otohan killed his family, he will do everything to stop them and kill them or at least stop their plans.

He serves people, he is a fighter, Trent is a threat to the people he wants to protect and so he will do everything to stop him.

He absolutly grew fond of the people he is travelling with, especially Fearne and he thinks they can help him get revenge or stop the bad guys.

Fearne :

She grew up in the feywild and was only surrounded with fey creatures and Nana Morri, she just loves to be on Exandria (even if i know that she misses the feywild) and explore. She is absolutly fascinated by everything and just wants to have fun.

About the moon stuff, i think her parents involvement peaked her interested about it and it has to spark something in her.

Orym of course is her best friend and she just wants to stay with him. She is also close with the witches and really bond with them. Than her relationship with Ashton, wathever it will be, she likes them.

Ashton :

Ashton always wanted to find a purpose kinda, we've seen it in the latest episode, they wanted to be stronger, find why they are on exandria, to be part of something big.

They always wanted to have a group of friends that would stick up with them, that would'nt leave them behind like the nobody's did, like previous people did and them "fucking up" last time but the group not leaving them has made them like them even more. And they wanna heal, they are trying.

FCG :

They started being there mostly bc they were with Ashton and just have a friend, they had just lost their group, they were grieving. And now finding this new group that again doesn't judge them for what they did and try's to make things work, they love it.

They are absolutly going against what they were made for (harming people) and they want to help people, heal them emotionally and physically. They are trying to make up for the wrong they did.

Their connection with the Changebringer absolutly make them want to help the gods even if there is questionning but they think it's the right thing to do. Their god also gives them purpose.

Chetney :

He doesn't want to be forgotten, he wants to be powerfull, especially. He is scared he will die and that nobody will remember him so Chetney saving the world and go to the moon, would absolutly make him known.

I think he also just goes with the flow, he has done so many things with his life and he has this group now, it's just new adventures, they helped him get to the Gorgynei and to know his powers better. He just has fun with them and wants to see more and have fun.

He thinks going to the moon is bonkers c'mon

Bells Hells are going on this crazy adventure for many reasons that are mainly to finally have this group that accepts them and have an actual happy ending so even they all don't want SPECIFICALLY save the gods, they have other motivation to do what they do. If one wants to do something, they will all help them do it.

They are not perfect and don't always work good together but they are trying and maybe that is enough for now, trying to be better, to stay with eachother and make things work. The most of them were lonely, never had a group of friends, are grieving and them wanting not to lose their bond is normal. And predathos maybe destroying the world is a bit of an obstacles to that.

Also they are having so much fun together c'mon.

It's dnd guys, it's a game, it would be annoying if they were just like "nah i don't care", they can but they love what Matt is building for them, the story. If mostly the players sometimes want to know more and get on the adventure, maybe that's enough. They can just play how they want.

And if they think their character doesn't want to be there anymore, they will just make them leave. Sam already had a character leave the campaign, it can happen again. The players know better what they want for their character.

#critical role #bells hells #critical role campaign 3 #cr spoilers #c3 spoilers #critical role spoilers #just a big rant #and if you stil think bells hells is not a good enough group and stuff #just stop hate watching the show #“it was better before” okay well rewatch the other 2 campaigns than #i just like bells hells guys

[deramin2]

Critical Role is posing a big question about free will in fantasy creatures. Even in Exandria's deliberately less essentialist setting vs. D&D's traditional settings, the Feywild is a fairy tale land and it's denizens are more bound by their natures.

So how much free will and agency does Morrigan have? She claimed Fearn in one of her dark bargains. She kept Fearne safe but imprisoned in her realm and separated from her parents. Fearne is upset at her parents for staying away and not raising her, but Morrigan did that.

However, Morrigan didn't directly treat Fearne cruelly in any other way. She genuinely loved & doted on Fearne. Fearne had a wonderful childhood she cherishes every moment of. It's only looking in from the outside that we have to question how fucked up that caregiver situation is.

Fearne and her parents are victims of Morrigan's nature. But they also love her and forgive her. Both generations of Calloways fled back to Morrigan when they needed safety, protection, and a place they loved that is also part of that nature. They love her. She loves them. They're family and they look out for each other.

Fearne came to Morrigan for serious emotional crisis help in the time it most mattered and Morrigan genuinely helped them. In a terrifying, dramatic, entertaining for her (and us) way, but she did help. Morrigan is a Tragedy Enjoyer™ superfan, only for real life and she can donate to the stream to get the outcome she wants. She just loves watching people make fools out of themselves and suffer awkwardly. Which Bell's Hells did for her very willingly.

So is it Morrigan the Fate Stitchers compelled nature to make everyone she makes deals with suffer? Or is that just really enjoyable for her but if it's entertaining and enjoyable to help people she absolutely can and will do that. Does she always take when she gives? I think the answer is way more compelling if she has free will and we're seeing some of the few exceptions.

So now Chetney has made a deal to be the most famous toymaker ever. All he has to do is bring her a piece of the god-eater. Chetney did not discuss what happens if he fails. He also didn't necessarily need to be famous for his toys. If Bell's Hells succeed and Chetney upholds the bargain, Morrigan might be satisfied and make him famous for heroism. Which might be infamy more than adoration and be a curse all on its own. If he fails maybe she deliberately makes sure he's never remarkable and easily forgotten (Chetney's worst fear). I'm less afraid of her getting him killed because we've seen she likes to keep her victims alive. She makes them living topiaries in her garden. Or she sets them up for constant failure and then watches them flounder as her shows. But I she could still change how he's known if he incidentally dies. (Maybe differently depending on his Bell's Hells fulfills his bargain for him.)

Same with Orym. If Morrigan helps them (he still has to call on her like Percy's pact), Orym serves her. He might become ward like Fearne was with guard duties. He lives in her domain or where she sends him, and he lives in this freaky place with his best friend. Which isn't much different than what he did in and for Zephrah. Except his home is full of so many ghosts it's hard to be there anymore, even though he loves it and the people there. He's been on the road for years unable to settle down in his grief. His "price" for her is that she gives him a place where he has to settle down. Where he's loved and not alone, even if it's not the same. Like Fearne, the reading where this is a tragic sacrifice for Orym is from the outside in. From inside the restrictions come with a lot of benefits. Orym's Fearne's best friend. Morrigan doesn't have to take anything he isn't relieved to give up. Or so he thinks. Maybe his tragedy is that he'd start losing touch with Zephrah over time, like Fearne lost to her parents. What if that's what he thinks he wants so he can be someone new that isn't stuck in the past? Disappearing from his loved one's lives the way Will and Derrig did. But alive and maybe thriving with what feels like a new beginning and a different but happy ending as Fearne's friend.

Travis and Liam are also making a bargain with Matt: Matt sets up dramatic consequences, good or bad, and Travis will get to act out this super interesting story. Chetney's story is about a guy who wants fame so much he makes a huge gamble on his abilities for it. Could be the next Shakespearian tragedy where a hubristic guy makes terrible decisions chasing huge bets into the ground and destroying his own life and many others in the process. Could be the next Lord of the Crossroads.

Liam gets to ask both Matt and the audience if this is a tragedy of the moral chaos of the Feywild. What's a tragedy from the outside might not be one on the inside. Fate and Fate Stitchers are fickle that way. Nana Morri could show nothing but love and affection for Orym and it gets told as a terrifying fairy tale warning against Morri. That's a story that often doesn't get told, but there's so much inherent angst to it. (Which let’s be real Liam is also a Tragedy Enjoyer™ like Morri.

But either way Travis and Liam get to explore what that looks like and how it affects his OC. This is what roleplaying thrives off of. That's what makes it fun. Players, GMs, and dice all being unpredictable in constrained ways that drive the narrative forward, not always to good ends but interesting ends is what makes TTRPGs a compelling medium. The cast have repeatedly said they always enjoy taking the risk and playing out the consequences way more than the things they held back on. They said at the beginning of this campaign all bets are off. Matt's set some high stakes and big red buttons in front of them (even when he warned about the consequences up front).

This is emotional Roller Coaster Tycoon and it's unclear if the players are creating an effective roller coaster that scores high points, or one deliberately designed to crash in new and exciting ways just to see what happens. That breaks so many rules of narratives made for an audience but is totally normal in home-play if all the group consents to it. (Definitely something you need buy-in for from everyone before you play because if someone is expecting epitomized heroic play and gets that they're not going to have a good time.) Perhaps that's also why some audience members aren't vibing with this as much as previous heroic campaigns whereas I who greatly enjoy media like The Lighthouse, Uncut Gems, Torch Song Trilogy, and Dead Esther am having a grand old time. (Just a taste difference.)

Am I scared the characters aren't going to get a happy ending, yeah sort of. This could easily turn into EXU Calamity. But I love the territory they're exploring, the questions about human (and hag) nature they're exploring, and the importance of subjective experience. I have absolutely no investment in how the events ultimately pan out. Blorbos were meant to be tormented. It's important for their enrichment and mine. Is Morrigan going to fuck them over? Maybe, maybe not. But it is going to be a really interesting story either way. And really at the core of it, a really interesting story is what Morrigan likes most.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #critical role meta #critical role campaign 3 #Bell's Hells #Morrigan the Fate Stitcher #Fearne Calloway #Chetney Pock O'Pea #Orym of the Air Ashari

[lauranthalasah]

Fuck... I'm an idiot, I think I got why so many people felt Orym's nod to Laudna over Bor'Dor so bad.

This is a long one...

See, Orym has been painted as the "good one" by the group, the moraly upstanding, let's say. "The dad friend," the fandom said. And he kinda is, compared to the rest, he has more internal rules, which tend to kindness, respect, etc., and the others clocked it (not saying the other's don't have their own morality, just that Orym seems to have more lines he will object to be crossed).

For a long time, his actions proved this side of him to the Bell's Hells, but what is more important, I think... they start relying on it! Many PCs had done that, from EXU, to C3, to even guest players, somebody said something in the lines of "I look at Orym, if Orym it's okay with it, then I'm good" (I think it was a guess star). The group relaxed over their own process of decision making because they started counting on Orym to call them out if they went too far!

The key thing is... Orym never asked for it! As a mom friend, let me tell you... it's frustrating as hell to have to "parent" people who are my age or older, I do it only because I love them, and I don't want them to die! And Orym showed us his frustration with them a long time ago!! Remember when they all were rising hands over who thought they would all try to kill each other? Remember how Orym just stand up and fucking left?! That's what you do when you are tired of trying to be the voice of reason in a group in which at least four of them are older than you and the other two are adults as well! Hell! Ashton noticed it!

Orym never asked for that position, no one ever does, you just fucking fell into it, and then you care too much for the idiots you call friends... even if you want to killed them yourself half of the time (that's me). In fact, Orym reaaaaly doesn't want to be any kind of leader, not even a "moral" one, but he keeps falling into Chaotic groups, sorry man!

Now, something else the group as a whole fails to realize in its full meaning is that Orym is a soldier in a mission. He has always been, and they know it, intellectually, but they failed to understand the implications of it. Fearne understands Orym, that's why she goes to him when she herself has doubts over Imogen, because she knows what Orym did with Dorian, so she knows Orym must be thinking some strategies just in case, and I'm not sure if she goes to him only because she is worried or also because she wants to show him her support, whatever it is... it's one of the best shows of not only that Fearne loves Orym, but that she actually understands him more than one could think. But Bell's Hells don't have the knowledge that Fearne does, they don't know how lethality serious Orym can get, how he will do things he hates because he things they must be done, they've seen glimpses, but Fearne saw it in all its cold steadfastness when Orym pulled his sword on Dorian, she knows, the rest are going to find out little by little.

So we have Orym trying, for a long time, to understand the enemy, what motivates the members of the Ruby Vanguard, trying to keep seeing them as people, not just "enemies." But he also recognized that he can not be impartial with them. We saw how he left another "should gods live or not" discussion because he is tired of it. Even if he thought (which he doesn't) that all the Gods should died he would not help the Ruby Vanguard, they will always be his enemies. He has been saying it is personal to him since his chat with Chetney. The philosophical conundrum, it's in the end, pointless to him, if he can stop the Ruby Vanguard he will, just for what they did to his people. And even with this as a known factor... he still tried to understand the members of the RV, they were people who have been hurt, even after they killed him, Fearne, and Laudna, Orym still tried to keep that openess of mind and heart.

Until Bor'Dor.

Bor'Dor attacking them after they offered him kindness and friendship, but even worse, I think... it was Bor'Dor attacking Prysm and Deni$e, who had nothing to do with Bell's Hells and their attack to the RV, just because they were there, and he wanted to hurt Ash, Laudna, and Orym. That proved to Orym once and for all that the RV were too dangerous, too cruel in the pursuit of their goals, simply put... they don't care how many innocent people they have to kill to reach their objective. At that moment, Orym went to war, at that moment he became completely the soldier he could be. At that moment, he thought, "He has to die".

And in the middle of this storm we have Laudna on her own, and she looks up, she looks at Orym, hopping he will maybe stop her, the friend that has always stop them from going too far, and she doesn't realize that what she sees is an aspect of her friend she hasn't fully met yet, and because she is used to rely on his instincts over this things... she lets herself go.

So later, when things get a bit calmer, it kinda feels like a betrayal, doesn't it? Why? Why does the friend who always stops us from doing stupid things didn't stop me?! WHY? And the answer is, because he couldn't stop himself.

He didn't betray Laudna, he fails her in the rol SHE had assigned HIM, now they will have to rework their friendship.

This moment weighs in the three of them, Ashton, too. It's obvious in the way he and Orym tell Laudna to take a moment for her. They are trying to help her now. Nothing changes what happened, though.

This is going to be interesting because it's clear that that aspect of Orym's personality, the cold soldier, is quite on the surface now. He is angry, really angry, angry enough that he might not have the strength to keep being the "dad friend", because he might be too focused on keeping himself at bay to be the person who helps the others to do that as well. Like I think he will keep trying to be there for his friends, but his own mental and emotional state makes him less reliable to what the group is used to.

#critical role #orym #i finally got it! #now I also know why i identify with him!

[bloodyshadow1]

my rankings on who I think the imposters are going to be

High chance

Orym- from a character and player standpoint, it would make sense to me for Orym to be one of the imposters, the group already trusts him the most. He's vanilla as a class so it would be easy for the dopplegangers to copy him and his moveset. Also Liam would love a chance to fuck with his friends and fellow players

Medium Chance

Chetney- in medium because he would be harder to replace than orym, because he has special abilities and can transform. The doppleganger might be able to copy some of his abilities aesthetically, but they haven't seen him transform so there is no way to know about it. Travis, like liam would love a chance to fuck with the table so I think he would be a good choice for matt

Laudna- like Chet has a transformation that I don't think she activated so the dopplegangers wouldn't know about it and would be easy to be revealed. That being said, Nana might have informed them somehow. Also as Marisha is her player, and married to Matt it would be easy for them to plan over the week to fuck with their friends. She also doesn't have the skills to be useful in this situation personally, other than deception. her abysmal strength score could be a detriment, so I could see Marisha 'accidentally' choosing those ability checks while still complaining about failing them without initailly raising suspicions

FCG- he is a metal being so I'm not sure how a flesh and blood doppleganger could replicate that outside of appearance. would they klink if flicked or would they feel like flesh with metallic bodypaint. Sam is an agent of chaos so I wouldn't put it past him to be an imposter just to fuck with his friends, maybe even a third imposter just for the hell of it

Low Chance

Ashton- honestly, as much as I think Talisen could be a good imposter, the big reason they're all there is because Ashton made a big decision with a huge fall out in their party. the party probably trusts them the least right now and they kind of need to be them so that the rift can heal

Other- mixed bag

Fearne- she's strange because I could see her go either way. I could see Nana Mori wanting Ferne to participate because she's her favorite, but I could also see her wanting Fearne in the stands with her. Fearne's a druid which are one of the most versatile classes so her spells are probably going to be key to solving the challenge or at least help it along. Ashley is a chaos gremlin though so I could see her having fun either way

Imogen- The big thing with imogen, is if Nana Mori does something to prevent her from reading minds at all. If she doesn't than imogen will all but have to be one of the imposters because she could read their thoughts and it would be too easy. Personally I think Mori will do something to mess with imogen's powers so she won't be an imposter, because she is one of the party that probably needs a lesson on trust. She removed her circlet because she doesn't trust most of the party, or at least she wants to be aware of the party's actions because of what happened.

What do you guys think? Do you agree do you have different lists for different reasons, let me know

#critical role #critical role spoilers #bells hells #cr 3 ep 79 #imogen temult #laudna #orym of the air ashari #chetney pock o'pea #fearne calloway #ashton greymoore #fcg #fresh cut grass

[blazingstar24]

Something I love so much about Orym is the kindness he puts out into the world. By all rights, he could have been bitter and jaded. Hell, I wouldn’t even fault him for being so. Someone murdered his loved one and got away with it. That’s enough to make anyone bitter.

And yet, there is so much love and kindness stored in this halfling. Orym never fails to be kind and still just sees so much good in everything. He cares so deeply about the people around him whether it be the Bell’s Hells or the Crown Keepers. He’s always got their backs and it’s not even just in combat. Orym is also an emotional support to these groups. He’s always checking in on everyone’s wellbeing. And he’s incredibly attentive to their personalities and how to effectively communicate with them.

He knows Ashton doesn’t like to answer personal questions all at once. He asks Imogen how to help her when the crowds become too much. He thinks about Laudna’s past and refused to treat it as trivial. He makes sure FCG is taking care of themself first. He made an effort to get to know Chet and find a common interest in woodwork. His whole relationship with Dorian and Fearne! Orym puts out so much love for his friends and is not afraid to do so.

Orym being a guard would have already experienced so much of the terrible unfairness of the world. It would make all the sense in the world for him to be hardened and closed off to these kinds of things. Why become close if they could die just like his friends in Zephrah? But he decides to instead “live with his eyes wide open”. And by extension, his heart. That line from Orym just takes me back to his conversation with Melora in the jungle. She asked if he would keep going, keep seeing this wide, wide world. And of course Orym said yes. Yes for Will.

That line isn’t just Orym’s way of coming to peace with his grief. It’s also something he’s decided to live by. He continually chooses to love, to open his heart, to be kind. He believes in the good in people. He doesn’t let the evil win by choosing to continue to be kind and love.

This is what makes Orym’s quest to find Will’s killer so interesting and different from a revenge quest. Most revenge quests give you the stereotype of a dark brooding character tearing their way through the world to kill the one who took away their loved one. But Orym? Orym determinedly is on the trail of the killer, but he does not brood nor leave a trail of carnage behind him. He just puts a bit more kindness and love out into the world while trying to find justice.

There’s something beautiful about a person both stuck in the past trying to right a wrong and yet also moving on and growing beyond. Stereotypical revenge quests are about a character emotionally stuck on one terrible moment of the past. Orym’s quest is learning to grow beyond but also to get closure not revenge.

#orym of the air ashari #cr meta #cr3

[masterqwertster]

Hi!

So I love your writing, especially the prompt thing you've been doing recently. I'm super curious on what you think it would look like after the last little fic with Ashton and Orym, since they have no healers.

Maybe #6, #19 or #27, if you haven't done those or are okay with repeats? With Orym having to accept Ashton and Laudna's help until they can find a way to heal him, since it doesn't seem like he can even lift his arms? Or even accepting help from the other three traveling with them right now.

Or maybe for another focus, Laudna being panicked and scared about him being hurt and almost losing them both, but also worried about Imogen, so she's projecting onto Ashton and Orym to feel in control and maybe a little too pushy about helping him heal and making sure Ashton is alright too.

Thanks! 🤗

Alright, last one for this prompt list (for now) Sorry this one took a while. The prompt decided to fight me, but I got that sucker in the end! 6 "Don't move, you're still hurt." 19 "You need to eat something." Gonna pass on 27 "I'm going to carry you, okay?" since I've done Ashton and Orym both separately and together on that one. And since episode 63 was a whole thing, this references that, just the tiniest bit. Also, my brain decided this is a canon adjacent where Orym, Laudna, and Ashton are off on their own having split from their guests. So it's just the three of them in this little fic. A follow up to this one.

Laudna clutches her boys close.

For a bleak while there, she thought she'd lost them. How could she have gone back to Fearne, to Fresh Cut Grass, and told them their best friends didn't make it? That her reflexes hadn't been fast enough to catch them in a life-saving Feather Fall? And what about her, left alone without her family?

Lucky her, they managed to save themselves.

There's even the pleasant surprise of Ashton returning the hug, pinning her and Orym to their chest. Laudna really does enjoy hugs from the genasi when they're willing. Just the reassuring weight to their arms, the seemingly unshakable solidity to their body and presence, juxtaposed with the absolute care and gentleness they handle her with. Sometimes she'd swear there's nothing more grounding than an Ashton hug.

A hiss escapes the group hug, sending Laudna scrambling backwards as Ashton's arms spring open.

With that space, she fully takes her boys in, almost immediately spotting the problem: Orym's arms look a dreadful mess. Bright red and swollen at the joints, and dislocated too, if she's any judge (and she is, with as often as her own joints will pop out of place).

"Oh. Oh, that doesn't look good at all. Hold still, give me a moment," Laudna worries, hands going into the motions for a Wither and Bloom. Healing is hardly her specialty, but this spell can heal. It doesn't have to kill hurt.

And it's not as much healing as what Fresh Cut Grass or Fearne could provide if they were here, but it is some measure of healing. The worst of the swelling reduces, the redness recedes some, and some nasty cracks and snaps indicate that all the bones have popped back into their sockets.

"Wait," Orym pants out as Laudna's hands begin the motions for a second casting. "S-save the magic. We might n-need it later."

Laudna bites her lip. She really thinks Orym should take a second round of healing, even if it does bring her magic reserves down to uncomfortably-low-should-another-fight-occur. Because it's either her magic or one of their few potions to get the halfling into something better approximating working order.

"Heal him," Ashton commands, cutting through the indecision.

Orym splutters as Laudna quickly completes the spell, trying to be indignant about the used resources even as the tension in his body relaxes a bit more from the second dose of healing.

"Can you hold your shit, or does Laudna need to hit you again?" Ashton demands, no room to lie or evade in their gaze.

With a stubborn jut to his chin, Orym picks up his sword and shield. He only slightly fumbles stowing them away on his back, earning a grunt of approval.

"Alright, let's keep moving," the genasi says, groaning a bit as they lever themself back onto their feet.

"Are you okay?" Laudna has to ask. It can be a little tricky to tell when Ashton is vocalizing his chronic pain or a current injury.

"I'm good," Ashton says, rolling his shoulders and flexing his hands a bit, producing a barely audible popping that Laudna’s fairly certain wouldn’t be audible at all if his body wasn't made of stone. "After all, I'm not the one who caught, like, ten times their body weight and still some-fucking-how held on."

"Are you complaining?" Orym raises an eyebrow at them.

"Nah. Just saying you absolutely fucking needed the healing after doing something that crazy," Ashton easily explains, flicking the halfling's ear.

Orym grumbles, but lets it go.

Laudna, for her part, is very glad Orym managed such an impossible feat, even at great cost to himself. Certainly, having Ashton handle their own weight is always the better option, but needs must. And they obviously got around to it quick enough, since Orym's arms are still attached and the boys did haul themselves back up the cliff.

And maybe, maybe, Laudna spends the rest of the day hovering and worrying. Even though her boys are perfectly fine besides Orym's sore arms, Ashton's sore everything and there's really no need to worry. They're quite capable and can handle themselves. She's seen them in action, so of course she knows that. There's really no need-

"Here. Eat," Ashton grunts, shoving a bowl of stew into her anxiously wringing hands.

"Oh. Oh. I'm alright," Laudna demurs, even as her fingers curl around the warm bowl.

"Eat," Ashton demands again. "I know you don't need much, but you still need some. 'Sides, food is energy and you need to regain yours for-" and he wiggles and flicks his fingers at Orym in what is actually a half-decent impression of her casting Wither and Bloom.

And well. When they put it like that.

Laudna eats her stew.

As they settle down for sleep and watch, Laudna hits Orym with another Wither and Bloom, getting a little sigh of relief from the halfling. Then she spins one last one on Ashton as well for good measure.

"Good night," Ashton intones as almost a threat, flipping her off good-naturedly. And they resettle in their seat, obviously feeling some relief from her spell as well.

"Good night~" she sing-songs back, curling into her bedroll. Her boys live (she can hear them breathing), and soon, all of Bells Hells will be together again.

#MQ&A #critical role #ashton greymoore #laudna #orym of the air ashari #MQfic #hurt comfort dialogue prompt

[bardicindignation]

So ive been thinking about Fearne, and how much shes not okay, and how much she, out of all of this group, has been the most grounded.

I think that that conversation that she had with Orym about Imogen really shook her up, and even before that I think she's been struggling with, like, sure doing whatever she wants is fun and all, but is it always good? And esp with Bells Hells realizing how much she (and the rest of them) rely on having that anchor, that groundedness to not just fling themselves into the sun, metaphorically.

And so they're in Uthadurn, and Orym's gone, and with him their anchor. And Fearne, with all her chaos, and all her whimsy decides that she needs to step up to the plate, and even as it's clear that she doesn't like this and she's terrified, and she's holding onto the anchor of 'what's the practical thing, what needs doing' (aka, what would Orym do) and clutching the rest of them with her other hand to keep them there.

And then there's also the element of, well, Fearne has straight up talked to the Wildmother before, way back in EXU Prime. And idk if Ashley was remembering that as she did it, but all of the Crownkeepers had a moment when she spoke to them.

And then the Wildmother did the thing with Seedling, so she might not have faith in the gods. But if any of them were going to answer back, if any of them would help, especially with Orym, it would have to be her...right?

And so she goes to ask for her help, not for them, but just to let Orym know that they're alive and okay, and if he knows that maybe he can do something and she can take a step back.

And ughhh I love her so much and her growth and her relationship with all of them and esp Orym, and how much nuance Ashley's showing with it all.

And also Fearne should totally make her move on Deanna, we'd love to see it

#critical role #cr spoilers #this might not be super coherent sorry #super tired and a migraine came on towards the end of the ep ✌️ #i just have so many feelings abt this wonderful goat lady

[utilitycaster]

as someone who gave up on c3 I stayed in the fandom mostly for lvom and now waiting for animated nein. I remember you having a lot of doubts about c3. did they get resolved? or did you find other things to appreciate? I would be interested to see your perspective since I tended to agree with a lot of your opinions when I was more active on tumblr.

Hi anon!

Good question. I feel the best answer is that some things have gotten much better, and some things have not been resolved but I am somewhat resigned. I'm putting the rest of my response below a cut because it may get long (might not! I don't plan out responses like this usually) and because some of this gets fairly speculative.

Let's start with the unresolved:

While I'm hopeful that the visit to Whitestone quenched the need for extensive Vox Machina appearances, I still maintain this campaign would have been stronger had the connections been more distant. I actually like Orym as a character, but I think the Keyleth connection does neither him nor Keyleth any favors (not because Matt's depiction is bad, simply because Orym feels overshadowed to me and because it means the party can always consider asking a L20 Druid to help them, even if the end result is a no). I also still don't like how few characters are of Marquet or have significant reason to be there, even as I enjoy the characters.

The plot is still heavily centered around Imogen's powers and her connection to Ruidus. I'll talk more about this below, but I think this could have been handled well, and I place the blame squarely on Matt here, but it's not and as a result Imogen gets little room to breathe or develop. I like her as a character, but she's perpetually overwhelmed; her best moments have been, for me, in the episodes before the main character status was more solidified, or in episodes centering other characters (some of the Bassuras episodes; Chetney's time with the Gorgynei).

Related to the above, this is a heavily railroaded campaign. That is not bad. EXU Calamity was pretty railroaded, as are many Dimension 20 shows. I think the problem is that this didn't have the needs of railroading met. The best way to think about it is that Matt is basically running a looser-than-usual but still extant custom module. There are specific beats to be hit. When you run a module, as a DM, one generally tells people you're doing it and to build characters surrounding it. I still don't feel that was done. I think that had Matt said "hey, this is going to be a Ruidus-centric, lore-heavy campaign; build characters who have reason to be interested or who'd go along" then yes, he'd have spoiled the surprise, but not by much, and I think the characters would be much more suited to the plot (higher int, more tied to institutions in Marquet, etc) and the pacing issues wouldn't exist because it feels like Matt has been trying to obscure the railroading; things have gotten much better following recent episodes because we got the full lore dump and now have an actual task. Some slightly different expectation-setting would have been transformative with not a whole lot of effort.

The good

The characters and their relationships have gotten much better. Getting rid of Delilah has resolved most of my issues with Laudna though I'm unimpressed with her build; Chetney, Ashton, and Fearne were always great; my issues with Imogen stem only from her being Designated Main Character which wasn't an issue with Laura's concept; I discussed Orym above; and FCG in particular has been totally changed. Giving FCG a deity and having them start to question their purpose following a meeting with Dancer fixed most of my issues. They are still pushy, but in a way that feels much more friendly than the initial intrusive way; Sam is finally settling into playing a cleric more capably; and I love every part of the Changebringer arc. I also am a sucker for the Chef feat. As a recent poll on this website indicated, I can put up with a meandering plot if the characters are compelling (*cough* this is why early Mighty Nein, or Vox Machina pre-Briarwoods, are still largely good) so now that the group has meshed it's much more enjoyable. It still took longer than I wish it had, I still would like further deepening of relationships, and I completely respect that people lost patience, but we got to a much better place.

The pacing isn't perfect - we're getting shunted from place to place in a way that feels like late campaign, and giving this group so much power and connections has meant we don't get to see a ton of the continent - but it's much better. The Yios casino episode was a highlight, as were Chetney's episodes, and I'm hoping the upcoming skyship episodes will have some opportunities for conversations. I am not terribly optimistic that we'll get tons of downtime before the apogee solstice, but I am hoping that the plot is this: Bells Hells and their allies thwart the plans of the solstice, everyone has to regroup, and there is time to cover characters other than Imogen in depth for a length of time before we return back. I still suspect this will be a campaign closer to VM's in length than the Nein's, but that's still like 100 episodes so I'm hoping it's like, solstice in the 50s, 30-40 episodes of other stuff, moon plot returneth.

The NPCs and worldbuilding are consistently great; I just wish we could spend more time with them. As I say above, I hope that we put the moon plot on hold after the solstice and can deal with everyone else's stuff. I in particular am fascinated by Ashton and Chetney's stuff; I also think Laudna's hiding a lot that would make her more interesting, and I would love to know the full history of FCG even if he's not terribly curious.

The speculative

I have said this is speculative a few times and I'm saying it once more. I don't know if this is true, but like. This is essentially what I would say to Matt if somehow we crossed paths and he said "hey, as a fan, I was wondering why the response to Campaign 3 seems comparably muted from your perspective."

My guess is that this is the last long-form campaign Critical Role will do. It's understandable; if this runs 100-ish episodes that puts us at the 9-10 year mark of almost-weekly episodes, not counting the covid hiatus, and that is a LOT for a busy group of people working on concurrent animated series and sustaining outside acting careers. This isn't a podcast; it's filmed on a full set and takes a lot of time. I suspect - and hope! - that there will be plenty more content, in the form of EXU seasons, one-shots, and even shorter campaigns with the main cast (a la D20). And if I'm proven wrong and a full-length Campaign 4 is announced in the future, I will be ecstatic to eat my words. I cannot stress how happy I would be if I'm wrong here. But that is my guess.

So what I think has happened is this:

Matt has lore he really wants to reveal and has been seeding through the past two campaigns

Matt does not want to tell the cast not to play a character they've been thinking of, because this is the last time they'll get to do it for 100+ episodes.

And I think those two things together explain everything we're seeing. The Ruidus plot has to happen...but he didn't tell the cast.

Anyway hope this helps! I really appreciate you saying you like what I've had to say in the past, and see you for the Nein series and any future one-shots!

#answered #Anonymous #critical role spoilers #cr tag

[thisisnotthenerd]

So after that lore heavy episode I have some thoughts (spoilers ahead):

Starting from the beginning—the dichotomy between what the players want Travis to do with Graz’tchar and what the characters want is hilarious. It does serve as a major power source for the wielder, and it sets a standard for the kinds of things that Bell’s Hells will encounter. The differences in interactions with the blade really brought Chetney, FCG, and Ashton into sharp relief.

Imogen’s in her helping the gods era now: I think Liliana could be convinced away from Ludinus in an opportunistic moment like Astrid and Eadwulf at the end of Campaign 2, but right now she’s solidly in enemy category.

The hole idea is just like the happy fun ball from C2–a way to really get around teleportation limits. Although Chetney had the bag of holding with him, so I’m not sure that it should have worked. I don’t think Matt is looking for another nuclear explosion at this point in the game, so let’s just say he hands it off to Ashton or Orym since Imogen was casting.

Next up: Keyleth is healed and in recovery! I hope BH thinks to take some blue perennum paste with them in case they run into the Vanguard and Otohan again—she’s been conspicuously missing, and I don’t like it. I know Imogen is consciously reaching for her mom and being contacted in turn, but it seems odd to not at least try to find out what Otohan’s doing. They don’t even know if the scry ball is still working.

Bell’s Hells in Zephrah has been lovely—I’m glad to see Orym recognized for his heroics. I hope this encourages more thought of himself outside of serving Keyleth and Zephrah. Savior Blade of the Tempest indeed.

The Reilora being more defined now can’t be a good thing. I low key want Imogen to try summoning until she gets one with information, but that might be a later conversation.

Ashton has Titan’s blood in them! Along with something Keyleth doesn’t know about (hint hint). This is actually cool as hell and I love it. Maybe the Hishari we’re trying to use the knowledge of Evontra’vir to resurrect a primordial with the aid of a beacon that ended up resulting in Ashton. The potion of possibility being added to his brain might have jumpstarted whatever Luxon fragments he still has floating around in there. Also Ashton bonding with Keyleth as an authority figure/mentor is so fun. I love that for them.

The whole interaction with the Changebringer had me breaking down much like the table did. Bless Sam for learning from the Jester Lavorre School of Aggressive Deity Contact.

Now onto the theories: much like VM had to gain vestiges in order to fight the conclave, I think BH is going to be doing some teleporting from place to place to gain power and fight Ludinus. They’re going to see D to get the harness fixed and after are headed to the Shattered Teeth to look at the aftermath of the sundering of the Tree of Names. Watching top table’s reaction to the Shattered Teeth was *chef’s kiss*. Maybe when they get there I’ll go for a Calamity rewatch to see what I can find.

As for what they’ll find there: obviously crazy elemental magic that links into Ashton’s origins. Maybe a link to Asmodeus from what’s left of the sundering that Fearne can look at. A therapist to talk with FCG but also all of BH. A cool map for Travis.

My hope is that they start dimension hopping and becoming champions of some of the outer planes. Like the elemental plane of earth for Ashton, plane of fire for Fearne if she’s not Asmodeus’ champion at that point, wait she’s already a fey druid that could probably commune with nature and wildfire of her own power. Maybe the Shadowfell for Laudna’s sorcerous origin? Anyway this falls, I’m excited to see how it goes, as the true start of a new arc for Bell’s Hells.

#critical role #cr spoilers #bell's hells #cr chetney #cr fcg #cr ashton #cr orym #cr imogen #cr laudna #cr fearne #chetney pock o'pea #fresh cut grass #ashton greymoore #orym of the air ashari #Orym savior blade of the tempest #imogen temult #laudna #fearne calloway #cr speculation #critical role spoilers #critical role speculation #critical role meta #c3e68 spoilers #cr3

[thecavernsabove]

okay. my thoughts on last episode.

i empathise with ashton a lot here. they felt like they had to do this, in a way. the hells just went through so much to get this shard, including ashton almost dying in the lava just to get it. fearne made her choice of not taking it, she doesn't want to become that darker version of herself - completely valid - so ashton thought that he had to take the shard, because no one else in the party would! taliesin had a plan, thinking that the rages would help get ashton through it. they didn't, but the process had already started so why not ride it the rest of the way through. ashton already has been through so much transformation not of their own will, that they felt like they had to make that choice.

did they go about it the right way? absolutely fucking not. they should have trusted the rest of the hells, not lied to them about what was going on, but he felt like he had to, because they would be worried about him. and if they were worried about him they wouldn't let him take the chance of potentially getting stronger to be able to help. they chose to take the shard because it was a win-win either way to them, get more powerful and be able to help take down ludinus, or simply just be killed and all the pain and anxiety of judgement would stop.

that's why I empathise with them. it's one of those things of why I relate to them so much; a habit I myself am trying to stop. of hating yourself so much that even when your friends say they care for you and love you you can't believe them because you can't see them loving a fuckup.

I hope the hells rip into ashton next session. I hope they drill into his head that what he did was completely stupid and what about everyone else who cared for them. he needs the tough love thrown back at himself so he can understand the situation he has put himself in.

also, something that was running through my mind while this was happening was how this was the second time that fearne has been put in this position to try and help save her fellow hells. she got revived and then had to choose between orym and laudna. now she has had to try and keep ashton alive, probably while feeling so guilty for not taking the shard in the first place. I hope she either rips into them or gives them the silent treatment for a while. she deserves a proper apology.

ashton needs to process his feelings better, and actually talk to the group. I empathise with him so much on this. I'm so anxious for them. and at the same time they need a good ass kicking so they can get it into their head that their friends love them, and they should have been there to help him properly.

gods this episode sure was something!!! not to forget the laudna stuff too. I gotta process that more though

#critical role #cr spoilers #critical role spoilers #c3e77 #ashton greymoore #fearne calloway #bells hells