#believe it or not her entire list of accomplishments is 100% canon. every single thing mentioned is true and you play it out in the game

[dark-magical-ships]

I WAS WAITING TO SEE IF YOU’D REBLOG THIS ASK GAME I will literally always get excited to hear more about your self inserts lol <3 how about Psycho, Carrie and Peeping Tom for Naomi and Poularia??

LMAO I am very glad you enjoy them so much!! XD <3 ALRIGHTY LET'S GO~

Psycho (1960): Excluding your f/o, does your s/i get along well with anyone else in canon? Is there anyone they don’t like? Is there someone that doesn’t like them?

Hurm; thinking of people Naomi doesn't get along well with, aside from probably Pegasus... not really? Yugioh is what it is; Naomi doesn't get to have a ton of serious interpersonal conflict partly just because of her role in the story and partly because it's still, at its heart, a pretty feel-good story overall. Pegasus is the only one I could point to (aside from like... bit villains who barely even appear in canon lol) and go "Yeah, Naomi does not like that one." She doesn't trust the guy as far as she can throw him, and while she feels a little bad for him when he suddenly dies, she isn't sorry to see him no longer able to cause harm.

Poularia, on the other hand, has a good selection of more grey characters and situations to look at, and gets to take a more hardline approach in some cases. Looking just at Dragon's Watch alone, she gets along especially well with Taimi and Rox, and is pretty close with Marjorie and Kasmeer, as well. Braham... she and Braham have some sticking points that they take a while to work out, and Braham actually leaves the guild for a little while over that beef. The kid was grieving, angry, and trying to protect his home, but he bit off way more than he could chew and it came back to bite him in the ass. :/ Pol and Rytlock get along pretty well, but Rytlock is... a bit of an enigma, sometimes. And Caithe... Pol started out kind of idolizing her, then had a while where just did not trust that lady for anything, and finally settled into a sort of coworkers dynamic. They're not really friends, but they trust each other enough to work together. Pol's biggest enemies are, of course, most of the Elder Dragons—beginning with Zhaitan, then snowballing into Mordremoth, Kralkatorrik, Primordus, and Jormag. Then there's the entire Nightmare Court and Inquest... Mordemoth's Herald, Scarlet Briar (formerly Ceara), who was just a whole mess in and of herself.... The human god of war, Balthazar. And the fair-weather friends who became bitter enemies—Palawa Joko, who briefly aided Pol and her Pact forces against Balthazar before turning against the Pact for the usual tyrant reasons. And the former Iron Legion Imperator, Smodur the Unflinching, who later became the Voice of Jormag. And... Rytlock's son, Ryland... I think he's too far gone at this point; I don't see him getting free of Jormag's machinations now. Pol does, however, enjoy a very close friendship with the Elder Dragon she personally hatched and raised—Aurene. They've faced down all manner of foes side by side, including three of the aforementioned Elder Dragons and their champion, Palawa Joko, and even the god Balthazar, and always come out on top. She's got friends in all three Orders, as well, and the remaining members of Destiny's Edge are reliable allies whenever they're not personal friends. Probably the most personal relationship Pol has aside from Trahearne is with Canach, who she considers a close friend and... occasionally a little more than that, after Trahearne's death. She's effectively married to her job, however, and Canach is by nature not one to stand for long entanglements, so it's more of a "taking comfort in each other when times are fucking awful" thing for them than any serious, deeper connection. Both struggled in many, many ways during the conflict with Mordemoth, and they shared the burden of surviving that unique hell all Sylvari who got anywhere near that dragon did together. Canach was also a friend to Trahearne and present at his death, so they've had a lot to commiserate over.

Carrie (1976): What’s that one thing that your s/i is always associated with? Even if some people aren’t very familiar with them, what’s that one thing your s/i is known for?

Naomi's most famous for beating Seto Kaiba for first place in his own tournament and winning the "King of Games" title, though she doesn't necessarily consider that her own personal accomplishment. The main thing she's known for on her own, if you remove everything Atem does but that she's credited for, is probably the changes she implements into the game of Duel Monsters after she takes over at I2. Her canon starts out with a slightly improved general card pool over the canonical one of Yuugi's time, with nothing more advanced than Fusion and Ritual monsters and relatively poorly-defined archetypes, but she implements the general idea of an archetype-based deck as well as introducing the first Synchro monsters to the game over the course of her canon.

Poularia is known in every corner of Tyria—throughout every city of the six dominant races, from the Hylek jungle villages of the Heart of Maguuma, to the isolated oases of the Crystal Desert; from the isolationist citystate of the Tengu and the hostile strongholds of the Krait, across the Jade Sea and into the distant land of Cantha—closed borders be damned. Every man, woman, and child, whether they be humble Quaggan tadpoles or legendary figures whose souls wander the Mists themselves, know of the Pact Commander. Second in command and later leader of the alliance that slew two of the Elder Dragons, and the only mortal ever known to become an equal partner to an Elder Dragon in their own right. One of only two mortals ever to slay a god. The only person ever known to have returned from the dead with their soul intact, without the aid of necromantic magic. The Hero of Lion's Arch, the Dragonslayer, Herald of the rise of Aurene and the turning of a new age. But anyone who knows her personally would know her best for her simple love of animals, of all kinds. She can't go five minutes without finding some new and fascinating creature to befriend, study, and train as the perfect companion on the battlefield.

Peeping Tom (1960): How would your f/o describe your s/i?

Oh, man. Seto's not really the sort to indulge in waxing poetic about anyone, but if you managed to get him to talk about her for more than a few words.... Well, he'd say that she's a true duelist, of course, which is his default acknowledgement of anyone he respects as a player, but then he'd also probably describe her as ridiculous (in an oddly endearing way he can't quite get over), too compassionate for her own good, and more cunning than he would have expected given what an idiot she can be, sometimes (in his opinion, anyway). He'd also remark on her stubbornness and creativity.

Trahearne... Trahearne is, in many ways, a polar opposite to Seto. XD If you give him half a chance, he'd happily praise his wife all day, because he just really likes to be free with his praise in general. But also, while Poularia had more natural charisma and raw talent both in the war room and on the front lines, Trahearne had the in-depth understanding of the Pact's first enemy—Zhaitan, and his ever-growing army of undead; as a result, Trahearne was the original Marshal of the Pact and served as the leader of the fledgling alliance. He relied heavily upon Pol during this service as his right hand, chief advisor, and main emotional support, and he's the first to point out how well he feels she served in each and every one of those roles. He would describe her as deadly in battle, a brilliant scholar, and kindhearted and gentle soul who was called to a very emotionally taxing duty. Her skill with nature magic of all forms—both in healing and in dealing death—would probably be the main thing he leans into talking about, since her magic is almost a reflection of his own necromantic abilities. His powers deal with dead things or things that have never lived at all; hers deal only with things that are currently living.

#friends #rainy #q&a #s/i: poularia #s/i: naomi carter #🐉💙 cocoashipping 💙🐉 #🌲🌿leafshipping 🌿🌲 #gw2 spoilers #thank you for the asks!! ^.^ lmao I hope. pol makes sense lmfao. #believe it or not her entire list of accomplishments is 100% canon. every single thing mentioned is true and you play it out in the game #gw2 really is just that epic. and covers a long timespan so yeah your commander gets AROUND #canach is not an f/o because i have no real personal interest in him but. he and pol definitely have chemistry lol

[piitou]

Why the fandom is feeling frustrated?

(Hey, just so you know, this is a looooooong text post. Get comfortable before reading. Bad TL;DR at the end.)

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Personally, I’m not a person that interacts with the CR fandom that much, especially when I know that there are so many platforms where people talk. I rarely take a glance at the chat. I don’t do Twitter. What is Discord? Sometimes I read through the Reddit thread of the episode, and I’m on Tumblr a lot. But this episode frustrated me so much that I decided to take a look at what other people were saying. And wow, there was so much.

But what is it about this episode that raised tensions so high? Let’s break it down.

Part 1. The frustration of expectancy

Let’s set up a timeline. The break between E99 and E100 lasted 16 weeks (approx. 4 months). Right at the end of the episode 100 there were hints that there was something bigger at play, which clearly set up the fandom to expecting a big boss battle. Those expectations were reaffirmed after E102 when the M9 actually met Vokodo: this was most likely not going to be a creature that could be bargained with. The selfish nature of the creature and how it affects the memories of the villagers paints a clear picture of ”a Great Evil that Must be Defeated”. (Lorenzo and Obann might be the only enemies that very clearly fit in the same category.)

Seemingly, the only way out is to defeat this creature.

After waiting for new content for 16 weeks, some parts of the fandom have been craving for epic battle. The last episode before break, E99, left people on a cliffhanger – and the battle did not happen. Not in a way that you form in your head, when you are waiting for it for 4 months. So, there might have been a part of the fandom that was dissapointed on the lack of an epic battle, therefore latching onto the next battle that was, kinda, promised. If they had thought that the dragon turtle was cool, think about how cool fighting a some sort of a demi-god must be!

Calls for battle started on E102 in the Vokodo’s lair, and very large part of the fandom believed that okay, if it did not happen in this episode, it must be happening in E103. Escpecially after the bomb drop that was greater restoration on Vilya on the end of the episode.

But, E103 happened and the M9 did seemingly no progress towards this mighty battle that was ”promised”. (In my opinion, E103 was great, especially RP wise.) Losing Caduceus at the end of the episode caused a huge reaction from the fandom. The drama! Split party! ”We have been waiting for this for more than two weeks, this time I’m sure that they will defeat Vokodo in the next episode!” And E104 happens. And still no battle - that battle that has at this point been dangling in front of you for a month already.

But, it is not actually everything about the battle, isn’t it?

The reason that we want to see Vokodo defeated is not the victory, the loot or the island freed. It is that relief after something that has been hyped up for such a long time. The reason M9 came to Rumblecusp was Travellercon. Defeating a creature, no matter how vile and dangerous it is, is nothing next to the bigger picture: the reason why they are here in the first place. Clearing the island from a pest seems like a side quest that just needs to be swept out of the way, just so that they can get on with their more important mission. Taking care of the Vokodo situation is needed so that the M9 can start pursuing bigger plot threads.

What is Travellercon, actually? What are Artagan’s plans? How Jester’s relationship with her god will change? And, also, what the hell are their next plans after this? There’s the Travellercon but what are the M9 as a group planning on accomplishing next? Is it the Cerberus Assembly? What is next on their bucket list?

So. E102 ended up in frustration. 

And then came hope: ”in the next episode.” E103 was great for RP reasons, but even that ended up with the hope that ”in the next episode”. And now E104, that hope (or desperation) of ”in the next episode” is even stronger than ever. That is three weeks of waiting, and hoping, and setting up expectations, every Thursday. Expectations that have been brewing for quite a long time, possibly even ever since that cliffhanger of E99.  

The party deciding to explore other leads on the island instead of getting rid of this monster already, it makes the latest episode feel like a side quest of a side quest.

Frustration. Why won’t they fight this Clear Evil? Are the M9 stalling, are they cowards?

Part 2. Knowledge

What we need to remember is in-game time and real-life time. The M9 has spent a total of three days on this island. If we imagine that today is Thursday, they arrived on location on Tuesday. And they have been bombarded with information ever since!

Other thing to keep in mind is what the players know and what the characters know.

What the characters know about Vokodo?

He is being percieved as a god by the villagers. (The group now has confirmation that Vokodo is actually not a god. But technically… even the Traveller is not ”really a god” but still possesses a good amount of power)

The whole island is in Vokodo’s control.

Vokodo has mind-affecting abilities. Not only people losing their memories but also the cool lair effects that can force people to move against their will.

The M9 has no reason to believe that what they have seen is the full excent of Vokodo’s powers.

As of this latest episode (E104) they have received further information: He has been on the island for over 50 years. He escaped the Astral Sea. He has (had) the ability to tear through planes. Both Vokodo and the island have altered each other, intentionally or not.

We have no in-canon confirmation that this being is a morkoth (due to bad history rolls) so there is no way to pull other information about Vokodo other than what information they have been gathering on the island. Hell, Vokodo might not even be a morkoth! That just is the most popular and plausible theory we viewers have right now.

What they know thus far sounds like a mighty powerful creature. If Vokodo is a god-not-a-god, the M9 might think of it being on the same level as the Traveller, the other god-not-a-god they know. And what powers they have truly seen the Traveller to possess? He is the power source for Jester’s abilities but what else have we seen him do? He bent some wildlife and changed in size? But has the M9 seen the Traveller do anything on the same scale as Vokodo? Change an entire island and trap all its denizens? What if this god-not-a-god is even more powerful than the Traveller?

We as viewers know that Vokodo is defeatable. The players know this too. But what the characters know? What they have witnessed?

At the start of this text I did a comparison between Vokodo, Lorenzo and Obann. All of those three enemies seem to be in the same category of ”evil that must be defeated no questions asked”. And what happened in the battles of Lorenzo and Obann?

The M9. Got. Fucked. To put it simply.

The M9 is being called gun-shy and cowards for stalling. The frustration of waiting only excerbates those comments. But. 

The characters survived (tho rip molly) the complete failures that were battles against Lorenzo and Obann. They fought Obann, what, three times before finally killing him? So, when you, as a character, see an enemy that clearly is the Number 3 on the category of ”We went into battle against this enemy clearly underprepared and paid a heavy cost for every failure”, what do you do? You try your everything to be as prepared as you can possibly be.

Part 3. We all make mistakes sometimes

So, the fandom is demanding a blood sacrifice. Or at least they hope for something interesting and drastic to happen. CR is such an incredible show that when there happens to be a bad episode, or multiple mediocore ones in a row, frustrasions rise. And E104 just happened to be an episode where, actually, not much happened. (But at least they had fun?) And yes, some mistakes were probably made.

But was it actually the errors made in the gameplay that made the fandom say some naaasty stuff? Or was this just the tipping point? The M9 has made understandable, though maybe boring, decisions during these few episodes. Now they did something that might be seen as an oopsie, and it was something to latch onto. Yes, I’m talking about the ghost fight, but I’m actually not going to talk about it at length.

So, some short notes on what maybe went ”wrong” here:

Analysis paralysis. Those fears that the M9 have, because of their previous failures, can easily send them into over-analysing everything.

The DM is just too good. Matt has clearly had at least months, if not literally years, to plan this island out. It is rich, it is full of opportunities – maybe a bit too much so. When everything on the island is worthy of exploring, it is easy to get lost in it. Combined with analysis paralysis, the group finds it important to turn every single stone in case something Good pops up. Time gets wasted on seemingly trivial things and the paralysis deepens. Of course they are going to explore the ruins, because it’s there, it must be interesting, there must be answers there.

Things culminate on the ghost fight, or rather, the aftermath of it.

Yeah about that: Mistakes were made. My own feelings about the matter are that it was handled a bit weird and communication got mixed. Someone on Reddit wrote a good post about the motives of the encounter (DM gave them possibility of allies like they wanted in the last episode, M9 was after infromation).

(Was that whole encounter at the ruins all for nothing?)

I think that there were some errors made, but… There is absolutely no reason for you to send messages to the cast about things that they have done about 2+ weeks ago. We all make mistakes, even the best DMs and players. 

If you want to scream at Matt or Marisha or anyone else, are you sure that you want to scream at them because of the mistake they made? Or are you just frustrated?

I understand if you are. Sometimes it is hard to care so deeply about things that bring you joy. Don’t we all want to see these characters overcome obstacles and see how their stories unfold? But sometimes, shit just happens. All I ask of you, is to be civil.

(And hey. Maybe in the next episode..?)

TL;DR: OP is an M9 apologist. E104 was ooh rough buddy for some. Battle cockblock. Setting up too high expectations can make you feel angry. Plot cockblock. In this house we avoid metagaming. Vokodo could be an all-seeing god OR just six hundred kobolds in a trench coat. How many kobolds is the Traveller made out of? The M9 has been bitch slapped so many times that they do all the dodge manouvers to make sure that is doesn’t happen again. Matt is an excellent world builder. Sometimes we all fail a little. It is good that you care about this show so much but sometimes shit just doesn’t work out the way we wish. Don’t forget to love each other.

#cr discourse #cr meta #critical role #c2e104 #cr spoilers #maybe #the wordcount of this post is 1994 #thats funny cus thats the year i was born #forgive me for this #correct me if im badly wrong in anything #english is not my first language #c.txt