#somnovem

[ariadne-mouse]

Jupiter:

Jupiter after reading from Lucien's ritual book of the Somnovem:

#look this is extremely funny #my brain is detoxifying itself from capitalism for a week #and i was looking at space pictures recently and this happened #unparalleled high quality humor #it's shitpost o'clock #critical role #cr memes #somnovem #op #space #jupiter

[snail-moth]

This is an old one but! For the CR C2 finale <3 Caleb's dream encounter the the somnovem ☺ i've posted it before and i've posted it on twitter too, i usually like to archieve this one bc is one of my favorite pieces!

#critical role #mighty nein #caleb widogast #somnovem

[gorgynei]

The Somnovem and Predathos Theory

Can we talk about Predathos and the Somnovem? I've been dying to talk about Predathos and the Somnovem. There's something here, I smell it.

Theory under the cut, its a doozy.

First of all, "Factorum Malleus" (translates to Creator Hammer) and "Malleus Keys" (translates to Hammer Keys). Aeor and Predathos have a concrete, canonical connection. Ludinus went deep into the Genesis Ward, found the Factorum Malleus project, and developed it further into the Keys to release Predathos. It's unclear whether Aeor also wanted to release Predathos, or if they were just trying to use part of its power to create god-killing weapons, but regardless, Aeor knew about Predathos. Thats a big deal and it explains why the entire pantheon held a ceasefire during the Calamity to completely wipe them out.

Knowing that Aeor has a connection to Predathos makes their fanatical Cognouza ward more suspicious. It's possible that the Somnovem were actually worshiping/serving Predathos but all record of it's existence was wiped with Aeor's falling, so we never knew.

When the Nein first learned about Cognouza, it was due to a psychic wave put out by Vokodo in his final moments, flashing them all into Vokodo's memories. This is similar to the flash that Imogen put out when she gave into Ruidus's power in e33-e34, even down to Bell's Hells being forced into their own memories. While not concrete, the shared usage of emotion-driven psychic waves and memories is notable.

The Somnovem believed in the power of the mortal mind and imagination. In other words, they believed that a brain could manifest psychic power, and they were right: Imogen Temult is living proof of that. They share in the ideas of the power of the mind, even down to the Somnovem communicating telepathically and in dreams.

The Somnovem, or at least members of it, also share many sentiments with the Ruby Vanguard. The Ruby Vanguard wants to release Predathos in order to destroy the pantheon, release mortals from fate, and embrace freedom in that. Ira, upon meeting the Nein, says "Creation is born from destruction, and if all that is worthy of us is destroyed, then so much more can be created or forgotten. All the Gods and the fates that threw us to torment and death, they all will pay" (c2e137) which mirrors that idea extremely closely. Timorei says "You know the terror of the end, mortal ones. The nothing, the acceptance of fate or even oblivion. We-- we cannot end. No, at all costs, oblivion must be destroyed" (c2e137), once again bringing up the idea of disrupting fate and the natural order of things. It's possible that what was originally interpreted as the Somnovem being split on whether to bring Cognouza into the world could have actually been a much larger debate on whether to bring Predathos into the world and destroy pantheon, at least in part.

When Cognouza was transported into the astral sea, it was harassed by a "terrible psychic storm" that drove them mad. Psychic storms haunt all of campaign 3. There's the red storms on the surface of Ruidus and Imogen's dreams, both intimately connected to Predathos and to the power of the mind. Cognouza could have targeted by a powerful psychic wave directly from Predathos, which would explain the strange mind-melded state they end up in and the madness that permeates the entire city and anyone who gets too close.

Additionally, Ruidus flared in 836 PD. Cognouza was also destroyed in 836 PD. It's impossible to know if these are completely connected or pure coincidence, but if Cognouza was a long-running Predathos plot, it's destruction would likely warrant an outburst from the moon.

While delving in Aeor, Lucien discovers a mural depicting "a ring of nine red ovals, with a dazzling starburst in the middle, and that decorated with a single open eye. Enlightenment" (from the Nine eyes of Lucien). Every other symbol of the Somnovem has been just nine red eyes. This "starburst" in the middle could be a subtle nod to Predathos, especially with the way it seems the nine ovals are inferior to this one, greater eye. Lucien seems to believe this represents enlightenment, and he's probably correct. The Aeorians are famously non-religious, so fanatical devotion to a god-killer and it's ideals may have still only looked like extreme belief in a particular school of thought, rather than worship to a particular entity.

There's the obvious too: the nine eyes being red. Red can mean a lot of things. There are plenty of red things in Critical Role that are totally unrelated to Predathos and Ruidus. But when red is the primary colour and representation of unchecked alien energy, and a strange fanatical city with possible connection to that energy is also red? It stops being so chance. Not a big thing on its own, but worth mentioning.

When Cognouza was destroyed, Kingsley felt the "strange black chains that invisibly wove through that city" break and heard an "angry, unknowable, primal, ancient cry". It's widely assumed that this is Tharizdun due to the chain-imagery and general madness that the city is connected to, and I do think that's likely, but if Tharizdun is actually somehow connected to Predathos (both of them are alien beings that got locked away, after all), it could be both of them.

*gestures wildly at all of this* do you see?? do you SEE???? There's something. There's something here.

#btw if you're curious about how i know that malleus keys translates to hammer keys: malleus is a small bone in your ear that's also #known as the hammer (bc its shaped like a hammer) and factotum is a word meaning ''someone who does everything'' so #factorum -> creator and malleus -> hammer #cr spoilers #critical role #cr speculation #cr theory #critical role theory #predathos #somnovem #cognouza #aeor #mighty nein #bells hells #bell's hells

[craftyfaecreature]

Fjord, Mollymauk/Lucien, Yasha and Jester's story arcs:

The Mighty Nein discover their friend is in a weird cult.

Not only that, their friend is an important chosen one/founder of the cult.

They travel with/follow the cult to a far away place.

There's a search where the Nein hide and/or search for something the cult is looking for.

Then they (at least offer to) fight a demigod to get their friend out of the cult.

Most of the cult is dispersed.

#critical role meta #critical role #critical role c2 #crit role #critical role campaign 2 #jester lavorre #fjord cr #fjord stone #mollymauk tealeaf #lucien critical role #yasha nydoorin #the traveler #artagan #uk'otoa #somnovem #eyes of nine #angel of irons #lucien nonagon

[copperbeetle]

Okay is it just me or could this maybe be an Easter egg of sorts for campaign 2?? Like I know there’s only 8 eyes but still?

#cr spoilers #critical role #legend of vox machina #legend of vox machina spoilers #somnovem #tlovm #tlovm spoilers

[bardly-working]

👀 ? B)

Here's a snippet of my What If Beau And Caleb Got Too Many Somnovem Eyes fic

They try everything they can think of to block the dreams. Beau helps Caleb meditate.  Caleb teaches Beau about lucid dreaming.  They ask for a Hero’s Feast at night.  They ask Caduceus to bolster their resistance before they sleep.  Caleb keeps studying that new spell he’s been on about ever since he saw Trent again, and Veth has been saving her energy to cast Intellect Fortress on them both as often as she can.  They try every method they can think of to fortify their will. But every night since they escaped the Tomb Takers, it’s been the same: Caleb and Beau go to sleep, they fall into the dream, and the eyes are waiting. After a while, the two of them stop being so quiet about their anxiety, not bothering to go off into a corner away from the group to discuss it.  They speak more boldly, more bluntly, about the dreams.  About the odd sensation of being watched.  Being changed. By the time they recognize that they have been given… abilities, Caleb already has seven eyes and Beau has six — the benefit, she says, of having spent some time panicking in the Happy Fun Ball instead of sleeping in the Elemental Plane of Fire. First it’s the dark vision that clues them in.  Beau realizes that she forgot to put on her goggles, but that she can still see everyone perfectly fine.  Then Caleb mentions that bit about Sprinkle whispering to Jester and everyone gets rather distracted for a few minutes (and understandably so). Soon enough they realize they can send messages telepathically, without any material components (or prior ability to cast spells at all, in Beau's case). Jester tries to turn this into a game, testing out the range of their telepathy, pass-it-on and having them think ridiculous things to each other. Then two of them become far more perceptive than usual, able to hear — no, somehow able to sense the presence of other living beings from a good distance away.  This saves them from more than a few monsters, though none of the Nein look particularly happy about it. “Y’know it’s actually worse with the lucid dreaming,” starts Beau.  “For me, at least.” “Ja, I see how it could be,” Caleb responds with a nod.  “You know, I, ah…” Caleb keeps nodding, his face twitching with emotion, his hands occasionally moving in small gestures.  Beau nods back after a moment, and then looks at him, puzzled, concerned.  Then her face turns sympathetic.  Caleb looks uncomfortable, that way he always does when people sympathize with him.  He doesn’t meet her eyes.  Doesn’t want her sympathy. Jester’s voice breaks through the silence: “Wait, are you guys talking in your heads?” Caleb makes a face, looks at Jester, then at Beau, who also looks skeptical, before both of their faces fall as they look at each other’s mouths. “Fuck,” says Beau.  Out loud. “Ditto, kiddo,” whispers Caleb, before clearing his throat. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes, we were communicating telepathically,’ then?”  Veth somehow maintains that flat expression that manages to be both playful and sardonic at once, and it makes Caleb smile a little. “Yes, Veth.” “Okay, but, like, you guys know that was kinda rude, yeah?  We want to be included, I want to know your lucid dreaming stuff—” “I don’t think they were doing it on purpose, Jester,” says Caduceus from where he’s still wrapping the wound on Yasha’s arm. "Oh?" Yasha looks ponderous for a moment before her face falls. "Oh. That... that's bad, probably." "Probably?" Beau lets out a breathy, desperate attempt at a laugh. "Ja. Probably," Caleb whispers to himself.

send me a 👀 and I’ll post a snippet from a WIP that I never got around to finishing this year.

#caleb widogast #beauregard lionett #mighty nein #somnovem #cr fanfic #critical role

[breathalyzerfail]

I really like how the Lucien book takes extra care to consistently refer to the Somnovem as “philosophers”.

Like, there’s wizard hubris that released the gods of Evil into the world and ushered in an era of untold strife and destruction. And then there’s philosopher hubris…

#critical role #the nine eyes of lucien #somnovem

[arclundarchivist]

Spoilers for C3E29!

Go back ye, who have not watched!

That was a doozy of an episode.

Might do a delve into Ruidus more tomorrow, spitting out possible theories about its origin and stance cause…it’s a muddled mess of curiosity.

Fearne and Imogen are both Ruidusborn, but Imogen is from a “bloodline” of those touched by the Moon, fitting into her sorcerous abilities.

Furthermore there appears to be a pretty clear explanation for why Fearne is missing so much time. Morri…might legitimately be the Morrighan, or at least the Exandria version of her. An Archfey, who manipulated time, maybe for selfish reasons, maybe to give Fearne a chance to grow up, we can’t be sure.

And while Birdie doesn’t believe it we know that the Seelie Court has been looking for Fearne prior yo learning of the Unseelie’s intentions…so things might be almost as complicated as Yu made it out to be.

The Moon has the ability to force its way into other planes following its Ruidusborn. Which….had a lot of implications.

The Unseelie Fey are in league with the Gray Assassins, towards some unknown end involving Ruidus. They’ve murdered members of the Grim Verity, may have been tied up in the Apex War, and are also behind the attack on Orym’s home….which raises a lot of questions about that slippery, gaslighting snake of a Changeling Yu….

Otahan, is one of the big mortal players, but who is the Elf I wonder. Are the Ivory Syndicate involved?

Another interesting thread, Treshi is beholden to the Paragon’s Call, who are working for one of Ruidus’s possible “minions”/ the ongoing conspiracy but was also partner with Ira…who is working with those that are against what ever possible Doomsday might be on-coming. He also built weapons for the Apex War…so does he know Otohan, one of the legends of that conflict? A Master Engineer and a Master Strategist, there had to have been some overlap.

What is going to go down with him next is going to be intriguing.

As for Yu…I’d honestly have freed their head from the neck, but my blood runs hot and I don’t trust known lying schemers, not matter how sweet they talk at me. Speaking of, why did they use a Half-Elven form to taunt Orym when flirting and how did they know about the Gnarlstone to tempt Imogen?? How long have they been talking them?

To the meatiest bit of new info….there are forgotten gods. Two Gods vanished from the Pantheon, their fate hidden away but why? What happened to them! How does it tie into Ruidus? What were their identities? Their domains? Did they die??

Some have mentioned that one could be the God of Death prior to the Raven Queen but I don’t think that tracks because people know they existed. Their name is gone, their memory whittled down to the barest of bones, but they are still a known factor. These other two do not appear to be. They aren’t remembered as being part of the Pantheon….so who were they? God I want to know.

One last thing of note: 7 Years ago Fearne Calloway was born under a suddenly active Ruidus.

Ruidus began ramping up activity from there.

7 Years ago, Cognouza, a being of psychic might, prophetic dreams, and physical transformation tied to the gaze of unwavering red eyes died.

Side note: Ashton calling a Changelings “basic” might be one of my favorite lines of this campaign so far.

And what is Ruidus, but an eerie eye in the sky staring down upon its disparate “family” and watching their fates unwind.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #cr fearne #cr imogen #cr orym #cr dusk #ruidus #somnovem #the nightmare king #cr ashton #the mighty nein #bell’s hells

[manyworldspress]

Is it Thursday yet? Matt Hubel, cover for Critical Role: The Mighty Nein—The Nine Eyes of Lucien, by Madeleine Roux (Del Rey, forthcoming November 1, 2022).

__________________________________________________ Our shop: https://bookshop.org/shop/manyworldspress

#matt hubel #madeleine roux #critical role #lucien #the mighty nein #somnovem #dungeons & dragons #wildemount campaign #d&d 5e #exandria lore #Is it Thursday yet?

[sea-buns]

Matt had so much fun with the Somnovem in c2 that he did it again but cottagecore

#i have a deep appreciation for how good he is at saying horrible things #critical role #cr spoilers #c3e57 #c3 #c2 #somnovem #molaesmyr

[shimmyshakemybones]

Cognouza :

The tome found by Lucien described the ward as originally a region organized by nine philosophers who were dedicated to the ideas of manifestation through dream and imagination with the conduit of arcana, increasingly obsessed with the astral plane, and many of its denizens being able to forge matter from sheer will and idea alone.

I'm going INSANE. Does this sound familiar???

Could Otohan be one of the people in the bubble?

#critical role #cr spoilers #critical role spoilers #ruidus #cognouza #somnovem

[mareastrorum]

Me, listening to the Portal 2 OST for the first time in years: Who would be the Aeorian equivalent of GLaDOS?

Oh, this will be so fun.

#critical role fanfiction #aeor #somnovem

[vanilla-jester]

I was thinking about lucien/molly/kingsley and listening to All Eyes On me by bo burnham and I think that that theres huge potential for art of Molly with the lyrics "You say the oceans rising" v Lucien with "Like I give a shit" - back to Molly with "You say the whole worlds ending" and Lucien with "honey, it already did"

#Lucien #Mollymauk tealeaf #This would slap so so hard #Critical role spoilers #I might commission it at some point if i have enough #Yeah...just many many thoughts #Critical role #Somnovem #Nonagon

[merry-moss]

#Critical Role clip #D&D #The Mighty Nein #Lucien #Mollymauk Tealeaf #Molly #Eyes of Nine #Somnovem #Living City #Astral Sea #Astral Plane #BBEG #Gustav #Circus #Circus man #Beauregard Lionett #Sam Riegel #chanting #Legendary action

[purvan-suul-enthusiast]

WHY IS BIRDY WORKING WITH IRA FUCK BALLS SHIT FUCK OH MY GOD SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE EX SOMNOVUM ABSBSMANDB

#cr3 #cr3 spoilers #somnovem

[breekon--hope]

Au where everything's the same but the somnovem are googly eyes

#critical role #lucien tavelle #lucien nonagon #cr somnovem