#it's everything exandria lost | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ludinusdaleth · 2 months

Text

i feel like the mere idea of bringing up orym & ludinus and their entwined threads of fate is taboo, but i cant stop thinking about it.

orym is a rare, nearly impossible kind of protector - a guard, somehow not attached to a corrupt, brutal system. he just wishes to protect his home, his leader. but ludinus, via otohan, attacks this peaceful place. he turns the ashari cautious & agrieved. he turns the society of air into the eye of a hurricane. orym is turned into a widow. his title as guard is marred; he failed. maybe zephrah is forever marked as a battleground & graveyard, now.

orym walks across tal'dorei & marquet, slowly healing beside his friends, protecting them as best he can. but then he learns who killed his family, and she kills his friends, too - and him, for a moment, giving him visions of his dead husband, reopening the wound. he is in the eye of a sandstorm, tinged red by the moon. he is a pilgrim no longer. his attempt to be a guard has once again been thwarted. maybe you cant have peace if you're a protector.

orym is at the center of the goddamn planet, the leylines aligning as he witnesses his leader fall at the hands of otohan, again at the center of his home's wound, and ludinus, again pulling the strings. a protector far stronger, more capable, than him, adorned in feathers, alight with divinity, falls worse. his friends are flung to the far sides of the world. he once again fails as a guard. maybe a guard is too small in the scale of this world's forces to impact the tide at all.

and so, orym nods to laudna as she rips bor'dor's life from him. he shears his hair ever more, adorns tougher armor. he makes a deal with a hag, desperate for any chance someone he cares for could maybe fucking make it out okay - even if his vastly increased sternness to keep them safe pushes all of them farther into fear of their own. he sneers with unfathomable anguish as he sees ludinus at the volcano and wastes every one of his action points to rip his soldiers apart. he uses ludinus's harness. he takes the willmaster's power. he keeps pushing into the bloodred storm. he could never be a guard right. so it is time to be a soldier. to truly protect must mean to run to the source of all of it and end it once and for all.

all of the bells have been forged by ludinus, a horseman of war, but orym takes it most viscerally. he does everything in his power to stop ludinus, but in a way the elf has already won - or perhaps, in his need for exandria to be "saved" (as he percieves his actions will do), he's failed, but the bells have still lost. because this new generation isnt at peace. they arent even heroes. they are soldiers. orym more than anyone else has accepted that is his life, his death, his fate. there is no goal of his that doesnt end at ludinus. ludinus, who just like him, lost everything in a war involving gods. who has felt the way the world keeps turning, unbothered by what destroyed his society. who uses that accursed harness to take power for a cause. who doesnt want to force someones mind to get what he needs, or kill, but does, because it is necessary. who has pushed himself to the point he is a means to an end more than a person, willing to rip himself apart because he doesnt matter, his goal does. who cant see anything but war on the horizon anymore.

when the two are mentioned together it causes folk to bristle. the idea orym could be in ludinus's shadow is seen as a suggestion that orym is evil as him. but, thats not what i intend. it is a terrible thing, watching someone's gaze harden after tragedy. once a long time ago, as the gods fought across exandria, ludinus saw his world destroyed. and so he enacted a plan to ensure that would never happen again. that they would suffer, and mortals would thrive. but his plan was a god's foot, trampling mortal society upon society. and so orym saw his world destroyed. and he knows killing ludinus is how to let it mend. as the two march forward, in a second calamity, i can think of nothing but the first scene of exu: calamity, when pelor & asmodeus fought as avalir fell below them. despite ludinus's raging, incredible hatred of the gods, the biggest tragedy of all is that mortals really are crafted in the gods' image: and he, & orym, are most representative of that endless cycle of war, of this war, a failure of the past generations, of ludinus, to ensure a "true" freedom of mortals. of peace.

willmaster edmunda was a terrible person, but i fear she was on the right track when she spat at orym "some would like to live in harmony [with Exandrians]. some... know the nature of violence, that others like you carry."

he would never have carried it if ludinus had not dropped it at his feet.

#critical role meta #critical role #campaign 3 #orym of the air ashari #ludinus da'leth #long post #van speaks

57 notes · View notes

lizablee · 16 days

Text

I think I've worked out a way to make an FCG reincarnation attempt satisfying.

Reincarnate obviously needs to be attempted. The party is not going to do any less for FCG than they did for Laudna, and they will have access to the spell through Fearne or Keyleth. Having said that... it might be a mixed success.

Here's what could play out:

1. Choice Matters

FCG chose to sacrifice themself. Reincarnate requires a willing soul. Matt could rule that as FCG's soul departed willingly in their sacrificial death, it would not return during reincarnation. This could be pointed out gently by Keyleth.

2. Core Problem

Maybe, unlike regular humanoids, the only body part an Aeormaton needs to live is their core. Maybe the metal plates and wires and shit are all just cladding, able to be removed and replaced at will. Maybe that means the parts of FCG the Bells scavenged are not enough - maybe it NEEDS to be the core, because the rest is the equivalent of clothes.

Trying to reincarnate FCG based off anything but their core would fail, and their core was incinerated. They are gone.

3. Aeormaton based complications

When originally deactivated in Aeor (probably by the Calamity) FCG lost their memories almost completely. They were reborn with no past just a few years ago.

There are a few options here. FCG could reincarnate with no memory, just like before, and the Bells could mercifully let them stay on Exandria in safety, making a sacrifice of their own and hopefully leaving FCG to start a happy new life as a flesh-and-blood being.

Secondly, FCG could reincarnate using their current, reborn age - a 2-4 year old child. They come back with a mess of memories in the body of a toddler, knowing they want to help but realising they can't. They are emotional and confused but a cuddle and a drink of juice helps them cheer up. The Hells realise that FCG deserves a real childhood (instead of being thrown into service from the point of creation) and refuses to take them, leaving them with a trusted adult... like the fate-stitcher Morrigan. FCG gets to have a whimsical Fearne-like childhood with the hag they once designed team-building exercises with, and Nanna gets a fascinating reincarnated centuries old robot-turned-mortal with a heart of gold. The Hells can visit whenever they want, and if Orym's deal somehow hasn't broken, he can raise FCG like a son.

Finally. Okay here's my theory. It's possible that a unique type of resurrection applies to Aeormatons, given it was still possible after centuries to start waking them up. It could be that an intact core is required to link soul to body, so without their core, there would be no resurrecting FCG. On the other hand, as cores don't decay like regular humanoid bodies, they don't have a time limit for resurrection - hence FCG's activation a few years ago. Maybe D casts resurrection-related spells on all the Aeormatons with cores to wake them up. If the process fails, they sell the Aeormaton body to keep funding their efforts to search and rescue their people. Maybe selling FCG was an honest mistake - they thought resurrection didn't work, but FCG just needed a little more tuning to wake up - or maybe they wanted FCG to be cared for by someone with mechanical skills so they could have regular tune-ups. We haven't seen any resurrection or revivify spells cast on FCG - who knows if they would work? Maybe reactivation is always a challenge for Aeormatons, and the Hells just hadn't encountered it yet. Maybe getting in touch with D is the ONLY way to bring FCG back, core or no core.

In meeting D, the Bells could learn that a core is required for reactivation, and that there never was a hope for FCG. It would be cathartic because they'd know they had done everything in their power, but FCG would be allowed to rest.

I don't think Matt would have put such weight on making sure Sam understood his decision if this was going to be a simple case of casting a spell to fix it. But the table has to try. Don't be discouraged when they start pursuing reviving FCG, just know it's a pathway to more storytelling. Really, everything is.

#rip fcg #critical role spoilers #cr spoilers #critical role #cr3 #cr fcg #fcg #sam riegel

43 notes · View notes

honourablejester · 2 years

Text

While I’m spamming everyone anyway, and with the understanding that I’ve sort of run out of words again, I’m just going to mention that I had a lot of feelings about Zerxus’ decision to try and cleanse Vespin Chloras.

Like, immediately on the back of failing apocalyptically to redeem the Lord of the Hells. Immediately after selling his own soul and leaving Evandrin to take up the mace. Immediately after probably the single most trauma this man has ever experienced. In the instant aftermath of all of that.

He tries again. One more time. To redeem one more person.

Because he’s alone. Everyone’s down or dead or yelling at him. He’s damned, he’s transformed, he’s surrounded by bodies. He needs help. So he tries. The same action that damned him and damned the world. The same action Evandrin thought was beautiful.

And he tries it on Vespin Chloras. The man who, exactly the same as him, damned himself and damned the world. The wizard who woke the betrayer gods. The man who started the calamity.

The man who looked at him, just for a half a second as he emerged, with tormented understanding underneath the mask of monstrosity.

Zerxus saw that, that tiniest of hints, and reached out.

And in return, though he can only buy Vespin the tiniest of moments, so far gone, so far owned, Vespin immediately does everything in his power to buy them both time. Alters Zerxus’ contract, grants him until sunrise. Drops a timestop, lets Zerxus get everyone he can up, tells them where they need to go, throws himself as far away from them as possible before the damnation creeps back in.

Like, this man has been a screeching inhuman hell puppet the entire time we’ve seen him. The epitome of monstrousness. He sold himself and he sold the world. But he wasn’t evil. He was trying, in his own self-aggrandising, hubristic fashion, to do good. Much like, well, the Ring of Brass. He woke Asmodeus. He paid every possible price. He will never be free. He will never be sane. And he knows it. He will go down in history as Exandria’s greatest villain. The Lord of the Hells will never let him be forgotten. He is damned, as thoroughly as anyone can be damned.

And when he looked at Zerxus holding that mace, he felt understanding. And Zerxus, on the back of that tiniest hint of remaining humanity, reached out.

And Zerxus doesn’t have the power to save him. He doesn’t have the power to do more than grant one moment. One moment of freedom, one moment of sanity. They can only give each other such tiny, tiny things. A second. An hour. The barest fraction of what they’ve both lost, what they’ve both sold. But it’s what they can give, and they give it immediately. The instant they have the chance.

I just. I do have a lot of feelings about these two incredibly damned men, these men damned by their own actions and arrogance, these men who damned not only themselves but the whole world, just trying to give each other everything they can in this tiny moment that they’ve bought.

Sometimes, redemption works, even if only for a moment. Sometimes, that’s enough.

And if it can work once. If there was enough good remaining for that spark once. Then maybe, as Zerxus and Evandrin hoped, it can work again.

Even on the left and right hands of Asmodeus. If not the god himself.

#exu calamity #exandria unlimited calamity #episode 4 #spoilers #zerxus ilerez #vespin chloras #brotherhood among the damned #if only for one moment

1K notes · View notes

codeopod · 1 month

Text

Is This Allowed?

Post C3E89

Laudna and Imogen get another chance to talk once they are on their split-party mission, and Orym is caught in the middle. Yes this is titled from the vine, I wanted to play with Imodna from an outside perspective cause they definetely get lost in their own little world and romanticize things that are probably horrifying to onlookers, gotta love some untrustworthy narration. Enjoy!

Orym watched as the nerves settled in to each of his friends. The weight of the world would be enough to drive anyone over the edge, not to mention the weight of another smaller -but no less significant- planet.

They all carried it differently.

Fearne’s ears gave her away, twitching and following each little sound. Ashton leaned a little heavier onto his hammer when he stood for too long, and his brow was hardly ever relaxed. Chetney’s hands had developed a slight tremor, evidenced by his increased frustration while carving. FCG was hard to read, but his emotion wheel was nearly always verging on “exterminate” rather than “smiley” which was definetely something to keep an eye on. Imogen and Laudna were an odd pair, one crackling with light and the other weaving darkness, it only ever balanced out when they were touching, which they had been doing less and less of.

“So let me get this straight,” Ashton huffed, “we’re splitting up.”

“Yeah, that way we can cover more ground.” Imogen responded tersely. She had chewed off her pinkie and thumb nails and had taken off her gloves to continue, almost mindlessly as she paced the earthen chamber. They had already ruled out the assassination mission, against Orym’s hope that she at least be there for whatever happened. He, Chetney, Imogen, and Laudna were set on the infiltration mission, while the others were decided to join Ira for an explosive distraction.

“It’ll work out Ash, it has to.” He spoke up, squaring his shoulders. “You guys do what you do best, and we’ll do the same. Play to your strengths.”

Something flashed in Ashton’s gaze before he rolled his eyes with a laugh. “Right, the time-bombs vs the high-strungs.”

“I would say poor choice of words but you literally blew up.” Laudna chimed in, spindly fingers ghosting over her neck, Imogen glared at him from behind her.

“Shit, sorry Laudna.”

“It’s alright, it was funny.” She spoke over Imogens “Not funny.”

Orym sat vigil as Imogen curled in on herself, eyes glazed as she watched the violet flickering orb of her magical light dance between them. Their party had split off that morning to infiltrate and gather as much intel as they could before finally reporting back to Exandria. They were almost done, but the pressure had only increased. Especially now that they needed to spend the night in the underground network of tunnels near their target. They were meant to be back by now, and they would lose their telepathic communication soon without Letters nearby. It was all getting messy, but they had determined that it was safer to take it slow. Somewhere nearby, Fearne, FCG, and Ashton were waiting with Ira for their signal.

They are safe. Everything is stable. He reminded himself.

He had been first to offer to watch while the rest started their nights rest, but Imogen lingered as if her light was a fire that needed stoking.

You wanna talk about it? He spoke directly in to her mind to not disturb the others. It took her a minute to respond.

Bout’ how my momma might be dead right now? How if I close my eyes I might see her walk into that storm? How it’ll be the last time I ever see her. How I could’ve probably changed her mind but chose not to?

You couldn’t have changed her mind, not overnight.

Imogen looked at the ceiling, tilting her head back to suppress her tears.… I know it. That’s the worst part. She never would’ve chosen me over them. Not without a lot of talkin’ and time we don’t have.

War is full of ugliness and pain, I’m sorry you have to experience it, but you aren’t alone. You have us, we may be broken but we’re your family too, and we chose you. He gestured to the weathered grey fur of Chetney and to where Laudna lay curled up further away. Us and your spooky lady. We love you.

She smiled a little at that. Thanks Orym.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the soft snores of the old werewolf. Imogen’s eyes were noticeably drawn to the huddled form of her girlfriend just at the edge of the purple glow.

Can I ask how it’s going with you guys?

We’re alright. We talked earlier about everything and we probably still need to talk more but it’ll have to wait.

Yeah, I think a lot of us are holding out for a breather to delve into our stuff.

Some things are easier to postpone, my momma not so much, Delilah too, I just wish she wasn’t there all the gods-damned time.

Is it really constant?

Well, ‘ts what Laudna said anyway, she’s been getting stronger, she even spoke out loud to me and Fearne. Imogen grumbled. Cant stand it…knowing that ragged nasty old bitch is whispering horseshit in her ear and watching all our time together. Makes me not wanna do any…private stuff.

Orym snorted but paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. You know that’s exactly what Delilah wants, right?

Us not doing stuff?

Not just that, she needs Laudna to feel isolated…unlovable…it’s much easier to overpower someone with nothing to live for, she would definitely want to separate you two as much as possible.

Orym thanked every deity he could think of that he was friends with Imogen Temult and not at the receiving end of her power as she shot to her feet.

“That fuckin’ cunt.” She hissed out loud, turning to go to Laudna. Thanks Orym.

Orym chuckled and let his head fall back. “Yep.”

The glowing orb trailed after her, shifting its lavender spotlight onto the couple and leaving him in total darkness.

He couldn’t help but watch as they reunited; Laudna jolting upright to check on her, before furrowing her brow and pulling Imogen into her arms. Orym could only guess what Imogen could have possibly said that had Laudna wrapping around her like a spider keen on its prey. The darkness around them drew closer and the warlocks form blurred, growing in size and shuddering as her bones cracked and grew jagged bark. Her shadows licked and played around the perimeter of Imogen’s light, casting a ghostly lightshow accross the cavern wall near them.

His grip tightened on his sword hilt. He still wasn’t used to her unique display of power, and his gut often told him he was in serious danger even if it wasn’t aimed at him. He had started deferring to Imogen in those moments, to gauge the appropriate response.

The sorcerer slipped into the dark embrace without a seconds hesitation. She held on for a long moment before she drew away just enough to pull Laudna’s distorted face down to her own, hands stained black.

He nearly blushed at the raw intimacy of it all. The urge to reach under your partners skin and make a home amongst their bones was usually, he hoped, a purely poetic notion. They were in a unique position, literally, he couldn’t quite make out what was happening so he figured it wasn’t his business.

After a few minutes he glanced back to see imogen blushing and smiling like a smitten teenager, lips smeared dark, as she swayed into Laudna’s -now relatively normal- form. They were still impossibly close, but their magics had calmed, pastel purples blending into shadowy void. He heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing the lilting crone of Laudna’s laugh echo across the cavern. As they settled into their nest of blankets, Imogen’s residual dancing light faded to a dim glow before disappearing altogether, reducing Oryms perception to just his keen ears.

He really wished it hadn’t. It didn’t take long for the pair to start muttering and whispering again. He did his best not to eavesdrop, but it quickly took a tense turn, and he felt a deeply unsettling energy radiating from their direction. The normal darkness turned into something deeper, a chill skirted up his arms, and their whispers distorted to be unrecognizable and nightmarish. He wondered if Laudna had even noticed all the ways magic flowed from her, or if Imogen had grown so accustomed that she hardly took note. He was on his feet and stepping towards them when a voice broke above the din.

“No you fuckin’ aren’t!”

He nearly groaned. They were supposed to be keeping quiet and covert, not infighting. If this came to blows they would be in for a world of problems.

A light flared to life and shot towards him. He froze, preparing for his worst eventualities to unfold, until it stopped just above his head. It was one of Imogen’s, and it swayed slightly, seemingly attached to him this time.

Thanks , uh, could you guys k-

She interrupted him with a frustrated growl.

“Nope. Not messing with that.” He muttered to himself and sat back where he was before. Luckily, things slowly returned to normal, the room regaining its very faint light from the outside, and the couple quieting down for long enough that he knew they were finally asleep. He walked over and kicked Chetney lightly to switch watches with him.

Imogen wanted nothing more than to fall into a dreamless sleep, but she had a point to make first.

“Laudna?…hun? You awake?” She whispered into her lovers mind as she took a careful step towards the slight lump in their bedroll, shedding her outer layers that smelled like ozone and earth.

Laudna shot upright, concern pinching her features. “Are you alright darling?”

“Are you?”

“Can’t seem to close my eyes.”

“Well that never stopped you before.” Imogen teased.

“Imogen…?” Laudna regarded her with caution as the intensity in her eyes sharpened and locked on to her with a faint blush.

“I love you.”

“I love you t-“ The air burst from her chest as Imogen crashed into her.

“I love all o’ you.” She whispered. “Just as you are right now, okay?”

Laudna could only mumble incoherently, balking under the sudden attention as Imogen closed her eyes, happily tucked against her collarbone.

The cold seeped around them, Laudna’s aura enveloping her just before her arms followed suit. “I love you when you’re all creepy and dark.” Imogen took a deep inhale of petrichor and cedar, her hands sliding along the delicate architecture sprouting along Laudna’s spine as it shifted to accommodate her.

All Laudna could do was squeeze her eyes shut and try desperately to believe the woman in her arms.

“All your gore too.” Warm fingers traced ink across pallid skin. “You’re so beautiful Laudna, inside and out, an’ I would know cause I’ve seen it all.” She pulled her down into a slow kiss, hands smoothing her hair as twigs and leaves fell away to oil softened tresses. “I don’t love you in spite of Delilah, I love who you are in spite of her. You’re kind, and joyful, and crafty, and you love kids and you’re always eager to help cheer people up, even when everythin’ is just awful, and I’m gonna sundre that witch for ever thinking she could dim your spark.”

Laudna’s grip on her tightened with a strength that defied her willowy form. Imogen buried her head back into her now-soft skin and pressed a light kiss to her neck.

“I wanna have a farm with horses and two babies with purple eyes and black hair and a dog and some barn cats, and I want the worst thing that happens in a month to be us runnin’ outta eggs.”

Laudna gasped a breath as her ribs settled back in to place, her shock nearly choking her. “Imogen…” she cradled her face gently, dark eyes wide in awe. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Everything is okay, I promise, I just figured some shit out and I wanted to tell you.”

“I-okay.” Laudna wiped tear tracks from warm freckled cheeks as her own dripped from her jaw. “I want that life too. More than anything. It would be my deepest honor to share that with you.”

“Then it’s decided.” Imogen hiccuped and laughed softly. “Did you still wanna sleep?”

“Will you join me?”

“Can I hold you?”

“Please.” Laudna’s voice was small, but her shy smile remained as she bumped their noses and prestidigitated the tears and ichor away.

“Aw.” Imogen mumbled. “I like when it stains me.”

Laudna laughed bright and carefree, pulling Imogen in for another kiss. “You’re strange, my love.”

“Oh I like the sound of that.” Imogen purred.

My love. Mine.

Laudna giggled, delirious with affection, and pulled Imogen down into their bedroll. Imogen rolled onto her back and tugged Laudna’s head to her shoulder, hooking her own legs over Laudna’s, fingers slipping into her hair to scratch gently at her scalp. Her other hand soothed along the arm around her waist until the usual chill had melted away under her careful attention. Laudna sighed again and sunk deeper onto her.

“Alright?” Imogen whispered.

“The children… our children, if we somehow figure out how to have them, rather than adopt, they might be different than you imagined.” Laudna whispered after a moment.

“What like purple hair and black eyes instead? Maybe we’ll get lucky and get one of each.”

“Or a…teifling.” Laudna added.

Imogen held her a little tighter. “Oh! That would be interesting.”

“You’re not opposed?”

“We could always adopt. But, I would be honored to have your little teifling babies, or hells, maybe they’ll be little patè’s- I don’t care one bit darlin- they’ll be ours.”

Laudna clutched at her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. “Okay!” She managed.

“Shit, was that too much?”

“No!” Laudna hid her face in Imogen’s neck. “This all feels like a wonderful dream that will only end in horrid dissapointment.”

“Why would you say that? We’ve come this far havent we?”

“It’s not real .” She began, “I mean -I’m not real- I’m not alive, anything good that happens is simply a nice sentence in my epilogue.” She spoke in a flippant way, whether it was because she believed it, or because it was too painful to say sincerely, either way it made Imogen’s chest ache. A chill traced her spine, and up the back of her neck.

“Don’t you dare say that. I am not a dream.”

“No. You’re far better than anything I could’ve possibly imagined.”

“Don’t get sweet on me after saying this ain’t real.”

Laudna flinched, “I’m a ghost, darling.” She whispered.

“No you fuckin’ aren’t!”

Orym cleared his throat from somewhere in the shadows. Imogen threw a glowing orb his way and turned back to Laudna. “You listen to me. Your heart beats. You have dreams and hobbies and passions. You have a whole-ass girlfriend sitting in front of you, kissin’ on you and talking about making a family. You. Are. Alive.”

“That life wasn’t meant to be mine.”

“Says who? You think you’re just meant to be a hollow shell for a necromancer to puppet? That’s why you were born? You think you haven’t suffered enough to earn a little good?” Imogen huffed and set her glare in the taller woman who was currently curled in on herself. “You think Letters isn’t worthy of love? A family? A future? Just cause his life came about a little differently? Cause he’s two old to feel as young as he does? Cause sometimes he gets the urge to do bad things cause a’ how he was made?”

“Of course not!”

“Well you’re no different.”

Laudna’s eyes darted around, welling up with cloudy tears. “Well, I never thought about it like that.”

Imogen shifted to hold her face, “You deserve this hun, all the good and the weird and the beautiful, you’re just as alive as any of us and shit, you’ll probably even outlive some of us.”

“I should hope not.”

“At least Chetney.”

“…I can live with that.”

They watched eachother in the near darkness, taking a moment to breath as the tension finally faded and the roar behind Imogen’s ears dimmed.

“I’m not letting you go.” Imogen reaffirmed.

Laudna smiled sadly but kissed her forehead. “I hope not, nor I, you.”

“Good.” The last of Imogen’s anger left her in a few hot tears that pressed into cold skin as they hugged and swayed for a long moment.

“Shall we try sleeping again?” Laudna murmured.

Imogen waited until she was almost sure Laudna was asleep before whispering softly. “I’m afraid I’ll see my momma walk into the storm.”

Laudna made a pained noise and cradled her closer. “I’m so sorry dear.”

“It’s alright, really, she’s easier to let go of now that I know more.”

“It’s very much not alright. It’s entirely fucked and horrible. But I’ll be right here the entire time you’re asleep, you won’t be alone for a second, I swear it.”

“Alright.”

#imodna #critical role #imogen temult #laudna #c3e89 #critical role spoilers #critrole #orym of the air ashari #cr orym

34 notes · View notes

meid4 · 3 months

Text

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

41 notes · View notes

dc9spot · 8 months

Text

I'm currenly playing 5 active TRPG campeign right now...either I have no life or I have too many life.

So I draw all of my active character together.

from left to right

Esme - Dragonborn(?) Psion , Playing in a original world setting where people live underground , diesel punk world setting of sort.

Z'mykoran - Drow Spor Druid, cynical edgy depressed bad boy, Playing him in adventure league, very fun evil character to play >: D

Themani - Halfing Forge Cleric, Play her in Hardcore Lost mine of Phandelver Campeign, where our party have to roll for everything in character creation (race,class,subclass,hp,stats(Can't swap the order either)) I ended up with a cleric with only 11 Wisdom... (It's a compeign for youtube channel too! but only in thais https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zJpFzbseas)

Constance - Goliath Paladin , I play her as a guest in Pf2e Campeign in my friend's youtube channel (only in thai language https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub4mLu9Nixs&t=15045s)

Chekov - Half elf Epic poetry bard, he's in Exandria campeign, where he is the only sane one in the party, while other member of the team share only 1 brain cell....

#dnd #dnd character #drow #druid #original character #bard #psion #cleric #halfing #goliath

68 notes · View notes

sporadically-writing · 1 year

Note

Hello! I saw you had requests open for Critical Role and was wondering if you could do a one shot maybe with Percy with a reader who comes from the modern world? And they joined the team and are both on watch for the team at night and have a heart to heart about their homes maybe? (Possible realization of one or the other or even both falling in love? 👀)

Howdy! Absolutely!

Quiet Moments

Pairing: Percy de Rolo x reader

Warnings: Trapped in a parallel world, slight sadness

Word Count: 663

Honestly, meeting someone who has traveled from other planes of existence is not the weirdest thing that has ever happened to Vox Machina. However, attempting to get you back to where you came from was a far more difficult task than anyone had previously believed.

To be fair to everyone, they tried everything they reasonably could to get you home. However, unfortunately, some things are beyond magic and everyone realized, you were stuck in Exandria.

Everyone felt terrible. In the time you had spent with them, you had quickly become a treasured friend amongst the group and despite your many differences and the learning curve it took for you to find a means of personal defense in this world, you fit into the group just fine.

Which meant seeing you so saddened by the fact that you would never return home again, weighed heavy on all their hearts.

Not sure what to say to you, they sadly left you to your own devices, hoping to cheer you up when the information wasn’t as fresh. Well, all of them except a certain gunslinger.

Percy, more so than anyone he knows, understands how your brain, when turned against you, can eat you alive. He might not have been able to prevent it for himself, but he wasn’t going to let you torture yourself with depressing thoughts alone.

He was quiet as he approached, respectful. Waiting for you to give him any sign that you wanted him to go.

When you didn’t he walked the rest of the way and sat beside you. He had to give it to you, for someone not from this plane, you sure knew how to find picturesque places to be contemplative.

He sat down on the other end of the log, watching the sunset for a moment. “You know,” he said, breaking the silence, “you always find the prettiest places to camp for the night.”

He was testing the waters, attempting to see if you would talk to him. In a rare moment, something Percy would vehemently deny if you asked him later, he found himself hoping to any deity that would hear him that his plan would work.

Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Kowalski De Rolo the Third is not a pious man. With the horrors he’s suffered one can imagine why his faith in the gods might not be as strong. But, he recognized the delicate nature of the situation and for his poor heart, he needed you to respond to him. To let him be there for you and help you in whatever small way he was capable.

He had lost a home once, he’d found a new one. Now he hoped he could guide you through the same.

To his surprise, whether it be luck, divine intervention or just wonderful you, you spoke. “Comes with not being from here I guess.”

Percy chuckled as lightly as his short breath in the moment would allow, “Yes, I suppose.”

He’s quiet again, slowly reaching over and taking one of your hands in his.

Surprised at the gesture you look at him. His expression is hidden momentarily as the setting sun glints off his glasses but in a moment, tortured yet hopeful green eyes turn to face you as Percy offers you a sheepish but well meaning smile.

Your heart squeezes a little as tears work their way to your cheeks and Percy does his best to comfort you.

Once you’re a little calmer, looking away but still holding your hand, Percy opens up. He tells you as much as he can manage while keeping his composure but you get it, comforting him a little as well.

You stay that way until you can fully see the stars. Hearts beating together, coming to terms with what is to come. Your hands are still entwined, a promise that whatever happens next, you’re there for each other.

You aren’t quite there yet, but there are marks of love in you both.

Navigation

Request Rules/Character Sheet

#percy de rolo x reader #critical role x reader #tlovm x reader #vox machina x reader #the legend of vox machina x reader #x reader #request

401 notes · View notes

waltwhitmansbeard · 11 months

Text

y'all had to have seen this coming after the most recent 4sd

Vax can't keep up with Keyleth's schedule these days, but honestly, he doesn't even try. Ever since he and Vex left Syngorn, he's had so little time to stop moving, stop running, stop thinking, and he's more than content to spend these day being the Voice of the Tempest's trophy boyfriend, the new guy in town who helps out when he can and tries his best to stay out of everyone's way. Zephrah thrives under Keyleth's leadership, though she'd like nothing more than to give her father all the credit, and Vax isn't going to insert himself into a well-oiled machine when he isn't needed.

So most of his days are spent walking around, talking to their neighbors, joining the Blades on their exercises, using his god-given wings to help patch roofs and harvest fruit from the tallest branches in the orchard. It doesn't take long for him to learn everyone's names, calling out to familiar faces as he passes them by. This, he comes to realize, is community, family, home, and he knows that there is nowhere on Exandria he'd want to spend the rest of his days.

On a spring morning, when the cherry trees are in full bloom and the whistling winds have just lost that winter bite, he strides happily through the center of Zephrah, hands in his pockets, having just seen Keyleth off through a tree to a meeting with the Tal'dorei Council in Emon. He nods his hellos to the Zephrans starting their days, stopping to help an elderly air genasi man wrangle his three ornery goats, and turns down a little path he hasn't visited in a while. Within a few seconds, he's greeted by a half-strangled "NO—" and then a mischievous giggling. He turns toward the source, and there, in the front garden of a garden so small and picturesque it looks like it belongs on a postage stamp, is a frazzled-looking halfling woman, her sandy blonde hair falling out of a bun on the crown of her head and her apron askew. Her hands are on her hips as she glares up at the dogwood in front of her.

Vax follows her eyeline and spies a cherubic face peeking out between the green leaves and white blooms of the dogwood. "Is everything okay?"

She sighs. "My son, he's—he'll climb anything taller than he is, which, at four, is basically everything." She sucks in a deep breath, then hollers, "ORYM, DO NOT CLIMB DOWN ON YOUR OWN, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

The giggling continues. "I'm tall!"

The woman pinches the bridge of her nose with a long sigh, and Vax bites back a laugh. "Here, why don't you let me." It's nothing to whip out the Deathwalker's Ward's wings—he's glad he thought to wear it today, usually he doesn't unless he knows he'll be using it—and flies up the side of the tree. He pulls back the branches to spy a tiny halfing boy, who might come up to Vax's knee on his tiptoes, and meets the boy's grin with his own. "You made it pretty far up here, little man."

Orym nods, then sticks a thumb toward his own chest. "Good climber."

"Yeah you are." The branches are hell on the wings, but Vax manages to poke inside, just enough to reach a hand out toward the little boy. "How'd you like to go really high?"

Orym's eyes widen, and oh, Vax could get used to this, the wild wonder of children. It seems that Orym has only now noticed the feathery black wings protruding from Vax's back, and he nods eagerly, putting both of his hands into Vax's. Vax slowly extracts him from the branches of the tree, and then murmurs, "Can you hang on really tight?"

The little boy obediently wraps his arms around Vax's neck, and hell, he might be little, but the kid's got one hell of a grip. Vax calls down, "We'll be down in a minute!" And then he shoots up, climbing ten, twenty, fifty feet above the ground. Orym's delight is a breathless cackle in his ear, and Vax wants this, the joy and the discovery and the little hands clutching tight.

He only lingers up for a few moments, just long enough for Orym to see his hometown from an impossible angle, before gently swooping back down toward his mother. He lands and takes Orym by the ankle, delivering him giggling and upside-down to the woman. "I believe this is yours?"

She takes her son by the waist and sets him on her shoulders. "Thank you."

Orym tugs on the point of his mother's ear. "Did ya see, Mama? We went up!"

"I did." She pats his leg. "But no more up without permission, alright dear?"

"Yes, Mama," he replies obediently, but Vax knows that look of mischief in Orym's face, has seen it in his sister's far too many times to believe he won't be getting himself into all manner of predicaments for years to come.

Vax reaches up to ruffle the boy's hair, and then says, "Feet on the ground, little man." To the mother, he smiles and says, "Let me know if you need him extracted again. I'm happy to be on kid-retrieval duty."

"Thank you," she repeats, and then Vax watches her return to her cottage, Orym happily chattering in her ear about how thrilling it was to really fly. When the door is closed behind them and Vax is alone on this little path, he knows more clearly than ever before what he wants from this one wild, precious life—and he'll wait as long as it takes for Keyleth to be ready for it, too.

#critical role #critical role fic #cr fic #vaxleth #vaxleth fic #orym of the air ashari #my fic

122 notes · View notes

12pt-times-new-roman · 9 months

Text

c3e68

Right into identifying magical items! Let's go!

Chetney's sword is known as Graz'tchar, the Luminary Blade. This is a known weapon in Exandria; it's a neutral evil sentient weapon that contains a piece of the consciousness of Grazzt, the demon prince of indulgence, to whom Obann was once a servant. The sword was created during the Age of Arcanum.

The sword's sentience sounds like a kindly old man. To FCG: "Child of creation. Strange being of metal and will. There is such darkness in this world. Perhaps together, we can do great things, and turn this world right..." He claims that he lost his memory and can't remember his name, or anything about himself. However, he claims to want to eradicate evil and darkness in the world, to prevent anyone else from "falling as he did." So, in other words, he's a neutral evil demon prince manipulating someone into attuning to a cursed sword.

"I don't trust things that talk that don't have moving parts! There are rules here!"

Imogen uses detect thoughts on it, and though she detects a consciousness, she can't get through to it.

To Ashton: "You... you walk a strange path. There is a... fire that burns within you, that tells me there is great possibility on the road ahead."

FCG casts legend lore on it! "Those who wield this blade carry behind it a powerful will. The radiance is a curtain; behind it, that which is burned away. The light is false. The blade does corrode. The metal, that of the prince's will." And FCG just...... gives it.... to Chetney. Knowing this, they just give it to him, contrary to a literal message from their god. Because Sam thinks it's funny.

The immovable object of the sword being undoubtedly evil versus the unstoppable force of players wanting badass swords

"If you get even a little bit weird, I will crush your hand." "Define weird." "No!"

MOON DREAM!

Back to the storm. Clouds flashing with crimson lightning. A massive shape, obscured by the dust, before the winds reveal hundreds of domiciles built into the rock, organically inspired, with hundreds of humanoid creatures. Every single one stops, looks at Imogen in unison, and their eyes glow purple. "A yearning begins to consume your body from the inside, a heavy, emotional gravity that's pulling your attention downward, and you hear, again, in the storm. 'Imogen. Please. Run. I won't let it have you.' Do you give in, or fight it?"

She fights against it. "How can I trust you?" Nat20 on a wisdom save. "You focus your consciousness, and that urge, right as it begins to pool on the inside of your chest, like strings pulling you down to the ground, you push away with all the force of what odd power has been granted to you and you rocket out of the storm... you emerge from the clouds, and you drift, your hair gently floating, and a slightly darker stratosphere above the Ruidian skyline." She looks up and sees Exandria, and the tether that holds Ruidus to it like a bridge. In the storms, there are pockets where it subsides, and there are valleys... and minute movement. She glides toward one, and finds rolling valleys, mountains -- and herds of beasts, strange, unfamiliar. Sand flows like a river, things wade through it like water. There is an ecology here, like a shadow version of Exandria.

A presence behind her -- Liliana. "I just wanna protect you." "Then why didn't you?" "I am." "Was it you? Who shunted us away, wen everything happened?" "I don't think so. I don't know." "Why don't you fight this? Why don't you tell me what's happening." "I need him, and he needs me... the seeds we bear still pull us." "Are you trying to release Predathos? Is it really gonna destroy the gods?" "You deserve to be free." "At what cost?" Liliana is pulled away, and the clouds consume Imogen once more.

I want to note the wording that Matt used here. He specifically differentiated the force that was drawing Imogen to Ruidus and her power. He specifically stated that the strings and energy tethering her to Ruidus is not the "odd power granted to [her]."

FCG casts commune. "Changebringer, are the gods -- can the gods help my friends?" "Yes." "Are you worth saving?" She leans close, and the perspective shifts so she's right in front of them, their height. "Of course." "Are you scared?" The perspective shifts again, and she's leaning back, a mile high. Over her right shoulder, a mountain detonates into a volcano, and another to her left. "Yes." As the vision fades, the magma becomes crimson, the sky flushes red.

Y'know, that is true -- attunement to the sword is most likely a curse, so in theory greater restoration at a high enough level would get rid of it.

After the dream, for the first time since she started running with the Bells Hells, Imogen has decided: she wants to "end her connection to Ruidus" and help the gods. I'm still not convinced that the Bells Hells know that helping the gods means keeping Ruidus around.

Chetney asks the sword for advice. It doesn't know anything about Predathos. But it does know Ludinus Da'leth. "He passed through in my time as king; a powerful, smart individual looking to make connections. He found his fortune... somewhere. I did not trust this individual." It also knows a bit about the Matron of Ravens. "Of course; she is one of the Prime Deities of Exandria. She existed during my time." i.e. the sentience in the sword is from the time between the ascension of the Matron of Ravens and the end of the Calamity.

Also, Ludinus having crossed paths with Warren Drassig actually does track with the timeline we have so far; they could've encountered each other while Ludinus was traveling eastward to Wildemount.

With three of them in the portable hole, we teleport back to Zephrah! Orym's clothes count as an "associated object," so there's no chance for a mishap, and they're back on the clifftops. They hastily make their way back to Keyleth's chambers.

Herbalists gather all the flowers and take them into an alchemical lair to synthesize them into the antidote. A short time into the creation process, Nell rushes in -- a half-elven woman with blonde hair (Orym got his dark hair from his dad) in a long braid.

The better part of an hour goes by, but eventually, they end up with a dull, sky-blue paste. They rush up to Keyleth's chambers with it; Orym takes FCG by the hand and they follow, while the rest stay behind with the remaining herbalists. The herbalists treat her wounds with the paste, and immediately, the pain eases, her brow relaxes, and her strength, her magic, returns. She takes her staff, replaces her crown, and casts a heal spell on herself, and all of her remaining wounds close entirely. She glances at Orym. "Well. You have my thanks... we have much to talk about. Give me a moment to re-engage my people; they've been nervous, my state being as it is. Then, I would like to talk to you and all those who helped us."

Keyleth exits, and from the balcony window, Orym sees that the people of Zephrah are gathering toward her abode. She steps, strong, onto the second-floor balcony, where proclamations are made. They can't hear her from where they are, but they can hear the cheers, see the joy that washes over hundreds upon hundreds of Zephrans.

Orym is brought to the balcony, too, as Keyleth speaks. "There are many heroes among us, but through the history of the Ashari, there are those who truly give everything for the future of our people and our realm. I am but one of many, and today, we welcome a few more." She puts her hand out, and next to Orym is Bearnie. "Faced with terrifying odds and long-ancient corrupting evils, some of our brethren gave our lives so they, so I, might live, to ensure that we will be safe and that there is a future for the Ashari people. I ask you all to celebrate this evening our surviving heroes, and remember those who did not return but will be forever remembered." Orym takes out his shield and holds it, because he knows -- sees -- that people will recognize it. And he speaks. "Hearts and minds, always Ashari. Home and abroad, morning and night. Kaiteake."

The night shifts to celebration. Carts are wheeled out, musicians start playing, food is distributed. As the cheer begins, the Bells Hells return to Keyleth's chambers to meet with her. "Now that I've set my people at ease for the evening... let us talk."

This is a big conversation and I can't transcribe all of it! So I've tried my best to just get all the new information and Keyleth's answers to their questions.

tl:dr, the Bells Hells recount everything that's happened and everything they've found out since the attack on the Malleus Key. Keyleth gives them a lot of information they already know, and some they don't.

There has been a lot of rising "insurgency" against temples throughout the world, and Keyleth is sure that this is Ludinus' intent: to split the temples' focus between stopping Ludinus and defending themselves.

While the Bells Hells were away, Keyleth learned that Ludinus was sighted in the Dwendalian Empire, apparently meeting with King Dwendal. Dwendal has been bed-ridden for many years, and the Cerberus Assembly has taken more control over the empire. Lastly, since the revealing of the Vanguard's plot, there has been some dissent and rebellion within the Assembly itself, which Keyleth believes to be connected to rising civil unrest in the broader Dwendalian Empire. She believes that some, but not all, of the Assembly knew about Ludinus' plot.

Temples outside of Vasselheim have been attacked, causing the city to increase its guard and recall their forces at the Malleus Key. Again, Keyleth believes this is a deliberate tactic to buy Ludinus more time.

Orym mentions his vision at the Temple of Ravens, and Keyleth's face immediately hardens. He describes the sight of the Vorb. "In this vision, that winged man who appeared that day, Ludinus has him in some kind of prison, and, um... we could hear him. In pain." Her eyes go to the window, and what Orym thought was a small tree he sees now is a perch. An empty perch.

Keyleth harbors resentment against "those who call themselves gods." "Resentment enough to see them banished from this realm?" "Resentment enough to keep them at arms length, and to see the role they play in the balance of this world. Just because I don't see personal investment in what they have to offer, doesn't mean they don't offer it to many others. That's why the gods take, sometimes, in ways that don't feel fair." "And if she were to go away, what would happen to that man?" "I don't know... I don't know."

On Asmodeus and Tevon Klask, Keyleth believes that the enemy of your enemy is your friend, as long as you don't get too close to the enemy. "Just be careful who you have dalliances with."

And on Ruidus actually having its own ecology, "oh. That's a lot." Across the room, so everyone is out of its radius, Imogen uses conjure aberration and creates a reilora spirit. It's slightly different, more physically present than the last one -- a half-ethereal, half-physical form, tall, thin, humanoid. The skin is deep red with striations around major muscle groups, long arms with a maroon coloration, silver veins through the body. The fingers are adorned with rings and chains; it wears a sleeveless robe affixed with leather strips. The head comes into a crown of three horns, decorated with jewelry. The face comes to a shark-like point, dark set eyes, slits for a nose and a tiny mouth with a row of sharp teeth. When it sees Imogen, its eyes flash purple.

In her mind, Imogen hears, "what is it you require?" They are from Ruidus. There are as many of them as there have been. It wants to serve Imogen until her binding of it (the spell) fails. It hasn't seen any Exandrian-looking people on Ruidus, but feels a kinship with Imogen. Its name is "a vision of an odd, pale gray flower, open on a dusty red plane. In the center, it carries a gem, a sapphire, that makes a bell sound as the wind hits it."

Imogen is "among the dreamers." This spirit hasn't been pulled to Exandria before. "Are you happy about this? Or is it happening against your will?" Imogen sees verdant fields, lakes of cool water, clouds, mountains, joy, love, flashes of abundance and beautiful vistas and laughter. "We know your dreams." "You haven't had that?" It shakes its head. "I'm sorry."

She asks another question. "Who is Predathos?" "Predathos is the progenitor. It is the heart of our world. And it stirs. You feel it too." Imogen ends the spell.

Imogen concludes that the Reilorans are trapped on Ruidus, that they experience Exandria's dreams (man, I wish I didn't delete that post about how the plane of dreams could be contained within Ruidus), and that they want that for themselves.

"Keyleth. With this limited information... what would you do? What would you have us do?" "I've been blessed, or cursed, in my lifetime to far to have faced a number of cataclysm, and have met others who have done the same. The thing we all have in common is that we don't know what to do, but we do something. We trust in each other, we follow our hearts, and we look for friends. We do whatever we can, whatever it takes to make sure that those who put us down, who try to control us, who try to hurt us and those we care about, ensure they fail. We don't know how much time we have, and we don't know if we're going up against an entire... people? There are so many unknowns; if you're intending to go to Ruidus, then you can't do it alone."

Keyleth will reach out to allies, friends, trusted contacts to see who's willing to connect with the Bells Hells and work toward the same cause (though the Hells, and the majority of the fandom, seem to be very uncertain of what that cause specifically is).

It's wild to me that everyone is talking about how Imogen is the most anti-god out of all of them while Laudna is right there, with Marisha's doubt of the Exandrian pantheon baked flawlessly into her character.

Ashton brings up the Hishari, how they were born into the cult, and Keyleth seems genuinely intrigued and curious beyond her general aloofness toward the Hishari. She asks for Ashton's hand -- "I'll have you know, sometimes this goes very poorly, and it's nothing personal."

As motes of energy swirl, the glass in Ashton's head sparkles faintly, and there is a deep warmth in their chest. For a moment, they feel like nothing could move them, and Keyleth opens her eyes. "You carry a power I cannot recognize, and a power I can, but seldom feel. Your blood carries elemental power, but not that of the normal genasi; you carry a fragment of primordial capability within you. The best way I can describe it is that you are titan of blood. A friend of mine once carried an artifact that bore the shard of one of the titans (Grog's titanstone knuckles); your potential is vast and frightening, and I'm glad to have you at Orym's side." Ashton shows her the symbol on their jacket, which they've dreamed for their whole life: it resembles the Ashari crest, with emphasis on the earth part. Keyleth looks like she's simultaneously is frustrated and has had an epiphany. "Maybe it came at a great cost, but the Ashari did something." "Yeah. Apparently."

As per rumor, the leader of the Hishari (Ashton's father) had the blessing of Evantra'vir, though some of that has been disproven. But regardless, Ashton's symbol resembles the Ashari one but is exactly the Hishari one, and Keyleth remarks that it seems that a fragment of Issylra's eidolons latched itself to Ashton's being. She is uncertain whether the eidolon's power and the Luxon's "get along."

In order for Ashton to have been imbued with the power of the eidolons, the Hishari "must have had something that held the essence of the ancient Primordials" that Keyleth has no understanding of nor idea of where they could've found it. SOUNDS LIKE A LUXON BEACON TO ME--

Evantra'vir, who was once themself a Gau Drashari, is the Great Tree of Atrophy, a powerful tree spirit whose roots "wind through the realms of life and death to watch over the spirits beyond." It resides on an island within the Shattered Teeth.

That motherfucker is absolutely the remains of the Tree of Names, right? A tree of atrophy that guards the line between life and death, sitting at the top of an island in the middle of the Shattered Teeth where Avalir crashed? PLUS its name bears resemblances to Atropos, an Elder Evil.

Laudna proposes that they combine pieces of god power with pieces of primordial power in order to take on Ludinus. Meanwhile, FCG is considering attempting to repair the Schism. Which, y'know, if it gets the job done then I guess--

"It's not about the gods. It's about Exandria." THANK YOU, Ashton, someone finally fucking said it--

Hold on, why is Imogen bringing up people connected to the gods losing their power? Have we seen any evidence of that whatsoever?

Regardless, they're all in agreeance for the moment. It doesn't matter whose team you play for, whether you're for or against the gods, for or against the Primordials -- the Ruby Vanguard, Ludinus, needs to be taken down and Predathos cannot be released.

(Ima be completely honest, Orym multiclassing into paladin was my favorite possible multiclass up until now. But Ashton multiclassing into druid is looking more and more appealing, tbh.)

Keyleth points them to the island of Slival in the Shattered Teeth. She sought answers to her grief there, and though she found not the ones she was searching for, she found [a "therapist", a specialist on loss and grief].

Are we finally going to the Shattered Teeth? Is this campaign going on a world tour of Exandria??

Regardless, the Shattered Teeth were created when two primordial titans were demolished, and the entire region was shrouded in residual elemental energy.

OH!! Ludinus' vest! They pull out Ludinus' harness, thinking that Keyleth might know what it is or what it was for. She looks over the notes and at the device itself. "He used this to draw the natural magics of fey entities, that are very tightly connected to the natural magics of Exandria. We Ashari, who bind with the natural world, life a long life because they give into these magics and become one with them. He is mimicking the druidic extension of life." Ahhhh, so it's a life extender. So this motherfucker could be millennia old, since he's technically still within the normal lifespan of an elf.

She picks out one line from the notes: feed the root. There's a saying within the Ashari that "the center of where your connection to nature is, is the core of your being. We refer to that as our root. It is often considered to be right around the back of the neck, where the head joins the rest of the body, not far from the heart."

I will also point out: "the back of the neck, near the heart" is precisely where a humanoid's silver cord originates when they're in an astral projection state. That point is the tether from the body to the soul.

Keyleth also implies that Vax'ildan has personally seen to the fact that the Matron's rites of ascension have been erased from all knowledge.

Imogen asks Keyleth if she thinks there's time enough for them to go to the Shattered Teeth, and Keyleth doesn't know. No one can know. But what they do know is that they have not improved their capabilities enough since the fight at the Malleus Key to take on Ludinus again.

Even though Laudna seems to be pretty damn anti-god, she still knows full well that Predathos and Ludinus are worse than them all, and decides that stopping them is the immediate goal.

.....Chetney unironically suggesting repairing and then using Ludinus' vest to do the exact same thing that Pelor threatened to do to Deanna is peak comedy

Still, they need to gather allies, pool resources. They suggest Milo, Imahara Joe, Hexum, and D. Keyleth, I think, suggests finding parties of high-level adventurers like Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein and the Pansophical. But FCG decides to scry on D, because they have been around for a very long time.

D fails his save! He's walking near a shore, on a road traveling over hills by a cliff topped with tropical trees. FCG doesn't recognize it specifically, but the location is eastward of Tal'dorei, and coastal. On description, Chetney immediately recognizes the scenery as the Menagerie Coast.

Hey, can someone get a count of how many words Liam said in-character this episode? Because I feel like it's less than 50.

FCG scries on Dancer. She's half-dressed, asleep, passed out over the side of a worn couch.

FCG uses divination. "If I wanted to find someone to repair this specific thing [Ludinus' vest], where would I go?" There's a gentle wind that perpetually sits around Keyleth; but in it, FCG hears elements of a voice. "The path with one from your past, you are most bound to." That could mean anything.

They do it again! "Oh, Changebringer! Would you say I'm more bound to Dancer or to D, and please don't say you're more bound to the one that starts with a D? And I love your hair, by the way, it's beautiful!" "The path to the mind of that which gave you life, renewed."

Fuck, man, this is what happens when no one in your party has an intelligence score above 15

"Maybe the Changebringer is trying to tell you that either one could help you!" Wow. Okay. Imogen just fully summarized this entire conversation in one sentence, huh?

They cast divination again! "Is it Dancer?!" "The road you seek will guide you to the one whose name beigns with a D." YUP! There's a cumulative 25% chance that, after each consecutive casting, divination returns a random result. (A long rest resets it.)

Orym turns to Keyleth. "Believe me, I've seen these people do great things." "I've traveled with people similar in the past... I'll tell you a story about a goldfish sometime."

And for the last part of the episode, we go shopping to recuperate and collect supplies.

Keyleth tells Orym to feel, control, use, and finally laud over his anger. She tells him that the strength of the collective Ashari are his, and his own bravery is collectively theirs. That some days, it doesn't feel fair; some days it never is; but when the others rally, they will help him carry that weight. "Orym of the Air Ashari... you are a paragon of the memory of dear Derrig and his son, your partner, Will. You are a heart buffeted by the winds of change and the cold of reality, yet you continue to move forward. You are hope. You are Orym, my friend. You are Orym, the Savior Blade of the Tempest. And you are never alone." "It all feels real heavy, and I'm real small... but I'll try, as we grow together. I'll try to do you and Derrig proud." "I know you will. And if it helps, I watched someone even smaller than you speak a few words and send a newly born god to a realm he'll never return from. So, I think you're much biggero n the inside than you give yourself credit for." "Some days I believe that." "On the days that you don't, it's up to you (she looks at the Hells) to let him know."

The Bells Hells filter out of the room, Keyleth takes her headpiece away, and the door swings closed.

Laudna suggests they all get tattoos, Orym and Ashton go to pick up their new outfits, and tomorrow, they head to the Menagerie Coast.

#critical role #note watches c3 #critical role spoilers #critical role campaign 3 #critical role c3 #critical role liveblog #honestly #it feels -- exactly like Marisha said -- like much needed direction #exactly like that liminal space between episodes 76 and 80 of the Mighty Nein #and I think the cast and the characters are all finally grasping that this is not as urgent as they thought it was #that Ludinus really doesn't know what he's doing and that they have TIME to do things before he gets to his final plan

58 notes · View notes

aeor-is-for-reccing · 3 months

Text

Sports AU's: A Shadowgast Rec List

This week, we have Sports AU's! Check under the cut for 9 fics that feature a wide range of sports, and don't forget to comment and kudos if you like them!

When the Lights Go Out by 06151126 (27309, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek is a Formula One racecar driver. Caleb signs on to be one of his mechanics

Reccer says: I know nothing about F1 but I'm still incredibly invested in this series

3 Turn by MithrilWren (7290, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Figure Skating AU: Essek tries to get to know the new competitor Caleb Widogast, but with every bit of new information the man seems like more of an enigma.

Reccer says: I love the way the Essek POV is written, very insightful and curious.

overture: excerpts from a curtain rising by hanap (5091, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Caleb accompanies Yasha to the make-or-break performance of Beau's career, only to find himself captivated by Beau's new partner - Essek.

Reccer says: A beautiful work. Reading this feels like actually watching a ballet performance.

Shapes in the Smoke by Luckyowlsfoot (2817, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

The Mighty Nein are invited to a Dynasty performance. It's not quiet what they were expecting.

Reccer says: I Liked It!

Dancing Cheek to Cheek by soot_and_salt (3871, Mature) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek Thelyss is a prodigy at ballroom dancing. But he's tired of the competitions until he meets another dancer - named Caleb Widogast.

Reccer says: It's a wonderful, emotional work about two people stumbling upon each other.

gloaming’s end by toneofjoy (41065, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn

Bren wants to be the professional rock-climber the Ceberus Assembly always wanted him to be. Essek already is the most successful climber, and Bren can't help but be captivated by him.

Reccer says: Another beautiful look in the world of climbing - Bren and Essek have a unique dynamic and the world building is amazing.

The following fic had 3 recs:

I’ve been lost before (and I’m lost again, I guess) by toneofjoy (165080, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: There are discussions of doping, eating disorders, chronic illnesses, PTSD, past hospital-related and medical trauma, past psychological and physical abuse, suicidal ideation, and past dubious consent,

A professional rock climbing AU: Essek ran away from his problems and settled in the seaside city of Nicodranas. When Caleb Widogast joins their team at the Tidepeak rock-climbing gym, everything changes. Caleb has plans to take down his old coaches, and Essek has secrets.

Reccer 1 says: Compelling character dynamics all around, great development arcs, and cool mapping of canon onto an AU premise.

Reccer 2 says: The world-building and character development are amazing and one can't help falling in love with climbing through this fic, because it is so well fleshed out. Reccer 3 says: it’s THE Climbing AU. this fic made me laugh, cry and watch 30 min analysis videos of rock climbing.

The following fic also had 3 recs: song of the moment by 2manyboys (6143, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

The Thelyss brothers are amazing ice hockey players. Caleb and Beau go to a game to make money, and the brothers are a safe bet. They meet, and the Empire sibs want to start playing as well.

Reccer 1 says: so fair it’s only one chapter but i’m so so interested in the world building and alternative hockey rules + magic! and politics! Reccer 2 says: There's an amazing amount of worldbuilding in here while still keeping the general shape of Exandria in it. I was instantly hooked.

Reccer 3 says: The worldbuilding is incredible. The details of the sport, incorporating both magic and physical moves, are so neat. Love seeing Essek and Verin interact. Caleb is so horny about how Essek is using magic during the game. Chef kiss, amazing.

And there were 2 recs for the following fic: Uncharted Waters by empressofwizards (11598, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: None

Essek Thelyss has one goal at the Olympics: to win. After hours and hours spent in the pool training, there is nothing that will distract him from grabbing gold. Or so he thought. The intriguing swimmer from the Empire might prove otherwise.

Reccer 1 says: I liked it!

Reccer 2 says: I liked it!

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week, we’ll be back with fics that feature rumblecusp/travelercon!

#shadowgast #caleb widogast #critical role #essek thelyss #cr fic recs #fan fiction rec list #aeor is for lovers #cr fic #cr fics #critical role fan fiction

28 notes · View notes