amsayshi

[amsayshi]

Vox Machina cameos are like "We are in the late second act of a dense war film and it IS going to get worse from here, so buckle in," and Mighty Nein cameos are like "We are playing out one scene in the long-running series of blockbuster spy thrillers that we've been living, hope you brought popcorn."

[amsayshi]

If it's alright for Orym to carry the sword and Laudna should just get over any trauma associated with it, than why is it wrong for the Hells to talk about whether the Gods should live just because that idea is associated with the Ruby Vanguard? The sword belonged to Otohan, but disliking the Gods doesn't belong to the Ruby Vanguard.

(This is long since I got onto a tangent) I will give you the benefit of the doubt and answer this in good faith. I first want to clarify that I don't expect Laudna to "just get over any trauma," that would be a frankly dangerous belief for me to have as a currently practicing therapist. Trauma isn't something you just get over. However, if we were being healthy and responsible about this Laudna wouldn't even be on this mission. She has not shown the emotional maturity or psychological stability to be placed under this amount of strain for this prolonged amount of time. She is actively doing herself more harm by staying in this environment. The first step to treating trauma is stabilization and making sure the client is safe. You are very, very unlikely to heal without those basic needs being met. Just taking away the sword is not going to fix this problem.

Now, this is a story and not the real world, so I don't expect Laudna to walk away, but if we are talking real facts, I think both Laudna and the mission would be safer if she were to do so if she is unable to cope with this level of distress. (She has shown us quite plainly last episode she is not coping well). However, I never meant to imply that Laudna did not have the right to be upset or even to ask Orym not to carry the sword. Only that Orym is not required to automatically agree. Her feelings are valid, but simultaneously her feelings are not facts either.

I think it would be beneficial for them to discuss it and see if a compromise could be reached. A lot of Laudna's distress appears to stem from distorted assumptions about Orym's motive for carrying the sword. She takes it as a betrayal and a personal affront when, frankly, Orym's motive doesn't have a damn thing to do with her. Though I think she would prefer to think it is about keeping Orym safe, I don't believe that. Orym isn't betraying her by using the sword, it is not about her, but her trying to harm Orym in his sleep absolutely is. She doesn't even have the unique experience of being the only person in the group murdered by that sword. Yeah, she stayed dead longer, but that wasn't because of Ishta but a lack of resources.

Here's the thing, they are in a dire situation where it is not feasible to pass over something as powerful as Ishta. (Or to pass over the help of someone as powerful as Laudna for that matter unless absolutely necessary, though that does not equate to enabling Delilah at least to my mind. I think Delilah is more of a liability than helping) Orym because of his personal tragedies and the fact he is (yes badass) "just a fighter" against enormous odds surrounded by folks who can activate titan shards, Imogen who can go supernova, Chet with his werewolf abilities, and Laudna who is a very powerful warlock and sorcerer in her own right. I think it makes sense he wants the fancy sword. It would be frankly ridiculous for him not to be first in the running for receiving it. There is a point to be made that Laudna probably needs a power-up, but at this point, powering her up is just making her more dangerous to the party, not more helpful. She becomes less and less trustworthy the more power she sucks into Delilah. This is also somewhat true with Imogen with predathos, but Imogen has seemed to be on firmer ground these days.

That said, I don't think Laudna needs to get over it, but I do think she needs to accept that Orym has equaly important needs, which may mean she doesn't get everything she wants. And if she doesn't get what she wants, it's not necessarily a betrayal. She has to decide what she wants to do about that, whether that is a frank conversation, reaching a compromise, or even leaving the party.

Now, as for the second part of your ask, we need to remember context. The context that those conversations were held in was whether the ruby vanguard had a point and raised the specter of not opposing them, which implied either not fighting the people who killed Orym's husband or siding with them. Both of those options are deeply, deeply hurtful. It's never said aloud but is an undercurrent of all those conversations.

Now I may be biased because I have thought all their arguments on this front have been stupid, circuitous, selfish, and counterindicated by the very facts of the world they occupy. Is it actually bad to question whether the Gods are worth saving? As a thought experiment probably not, as an actual plan to kill an entire group of people because they didn't give you everything you wanted...well I think its bad but other people clearly don't agree. Is it hurtful and insensitive to Orym to have these conversations without being absolutely frank about opposing the vanguard? Absolutely, Yes.

But was it a little presumptuous and shortsighted for Orym not to talk to the group about his decision to carry Ishta? Also yes. He could have handled that better, but how the hell was he supposed to know that instead of having a normal conversation about it, one of his friends would betray him at night? Orym's not the mindreader; Laudna didn't communicate her concerns to him while Orym has had on several occasions expressed frustration and anger about the way the others have talked about the vanguard.

Anyway, I am done chasing down rabbit holes. I don't think Orym is perfect, but he certainly was the person wronged in this exchange and it makes me angry that others would rather woobyify a 50 year old woman, than hold her accountable even a quarter as much as they hold Orym responsible for nodding one fucking time.

[amsayshi]

can you imagine being orym, the night after having your rest interrupted and following fearne to fight some terrifying fey entities and hearing fearne's father say that her protectiveness of her friends is what he plans on testing next, only to wake up the NEXT immediate night in complete darkness while being injured by an unseen force. terrifying concept

#poor traumatized orym #THIS #he's never going to sleep again #sleep with one eye open

[amsayshi]

So the itch on the back of Ludinus' neck is an eye, right? Am I the only one thinking of the Somnovem right now?

#critical role spoilers #critical role #bells hells #ludinus da'leth #somnovem #eyes of nine #age of arcanem

[amsayshi]

“My family will help your family, and hopefully we'll see the sunrise again. Yeah. It seems we suddenly have an easier time communicating than we once did, so don't be afraid to reach out when you can.”-Orym/Keyleth

Campaign 3 Episode 94: Where The Red Fearne Glows

[amsayshi]

Ok ok ok ok

I have some thoughts on critical role campaign 3 end game and I need to talk them through somewhere. So here we gooooo:

This last episode they spoke about a simultaneous attack. They spoke about infiltration teams and big boy attacks and some other things all happening at the same time and it made my brain light up with all sorts of conspiracy theories.

What if this attack is broken up into different storylines/group episodes?

A few episodes with the mighty nein, a few episodes with the bells hells, a few episodes with ragtag guest stars group (from all campaigns!!!?), a darrington brigade or a slayer's take oneshot, a fucking Vox Machina reunion, etc... all playing into whether or not this works to stop the release of predathos. Like a bunch of group skill checks but in episodic form. Like if the mighty nein mission fails that makes the bells hells mission harder?

This campaign in particular seems very cross reference-y. It also would be a wonderful way to set up a new team if they wanted to create a weird offshoot group that isn't the main CR cast. Something like the new podcast but filmed. Mercer wouldn't keep mentioning through Keyleth all of these forces coming together for nothing, right?!

Can you imagine a group that consists of kash, zhara, reani, keg, Deana, prism, and FRIDA?? I would die. The chaos.

Anyway I'm looking forward to whatever fuckery is coming our way.

#critical role #bells hells #the mighty nein #mighty nein #darrington brigade #critical role campaign 3 #critical role campaign 3 theories #and for fucks sake someone save Vax'ildan

[amsayshi]

Something I think would be neat to see pop up on Beacon:

Character Spotify playlists linked to their character pages.

Also updated character playlists! We haven't had new ones since 2022. 😭

I loved having updated songs for where the characters are at each point in the campaign. The playlists gave a cute inside look at how the players viewed their characters. Something I feel like we're not getting too much of these days.

#critical role #bells hells #the mighty nein #vox machina #critical role beacon #beacon #cr beacon #cr beacon wishlist #just a critical role thought

[amsayshi]

You know what I think would be nice to see in one of the next few episodes, some Bells Hells downtime with a new round of what the fuck is up with that?

This group is in serious need of some feelings and talking time.

#critical role #bells hells #critical role campaign 3 #orym of the air ashari #chetney pock o'pea #imogen temult #laudna #fearne calloway #what the fuck is up with that #ashton greymoore #dorian storm

[amsayshi]

Love the callbacks to all the old campaigns but I'm still thinking about the birdfolk the Bells Hells ran into briefly who basically said 'you never saw us, right?' and then they fucked off. And then I think about Cerrit and Maya with the Exandrian version of the Library of Alexandria in her pocket and I spiral hard.

Anyway... Wonder if they'll factor into this end of world arc in a fun way.

#critical role #bells hells #exu calamity #cerrit agrupnin #maya agrupnin #age of calamity #calamity #cerrit

[amsayshi]

...soooo when are we getting the Vox Machina saves Vax one shot??

Just saying Matt's alluded to Keyleth going to save a friend a few times now...

Gimme old, retired Vox Machina with a rage filled Keyleth, divorced Scanlon/Pike, Grog (probably the same?), and old man Percival + his beloved Vex'ahlia taking up arms to save their boy.

Let my bird boy be free of his orb! 🐦‍⬛⚫

#critical role #vax'ildan #vox machina #get bird boy out of the orb pls #my beloved vax'ildan #keyleth #vaxleth #vaxilorb

[amsayshi]

SAME AIMEE SAME

[amsayshi]

I'd like to personally thank @quiddie and Aimee for their very important romance related investigative journalism during last night's Four-Sided Dive. Your efforts have not gone unseen. A win for us AO3 folksies.

I am, however, getting flashbacks as a widojest enthusiast who remembers an exciting Liam on Talks time period. Haha

Not me continually falling for Liam O'Brien characters in love with a possibility that doesn't quite shake out in the end. Haha First Raven Queen's chosen and current screaming orb, Vax'ildan and then the slow dismantling of 💙🧡...here's hoping dorym🍃 ends a little less tragically. Haha

#dorym #critical role #four sided dive #liam o'brien #aabria iyengar #aabria my beloved #aimee carrero #orym #dorian storm #vax'ildan #widojest

[amsayshi]

Okay.

Hear me out.

I have this idea that hasn't left my head since the end of C2 and I need to let it out. I am of the mindset that the intricate web of wizard spies were kind of overlooked and underpowered towards the end of the campaign AND I can't stop thinking about them. Like they were spoken of as if they were an urban legend... So what happened to them in the aftermath? They were basically mist. How could they possibly catch all of them?

So here's some prompts that I want to write but have never gotten around to or can't write because of my disorganized head.

Prompt #1:

What happens next.

Volstruckers in the aftermath of Trent's capture. What happens to a shadow network of wizard spies when their leader is taken into custody? Do they surrender, slink back into the shadows, or reorganize into an independent spy network?

Prompt #2:

So pretty much the same as the above but cozy second chance romance for a bunch of assassins.

Haha So we follow a volstrucker who disappears into the shadows and reemerges as a tavern owner who refuses to look back on their time as an assassin spy until a familiar face pops into their tavern for a drink.

Anyway I still am fascinated by the wizard spies and wish we spent like...so much more time with them.

Give me an EXU series on former volstruckers finding their way in this worlddd. Would they all be ludinus followers!? Would the leftover volstruckers be on the moon?!

Ugh... Every few months I get wizard spy brain rot and it takes a while to push through the hyper fixation.

#critical role #caleb widogast #critical role fanfiction #critical role fanfiction prompts #the mighty nein #mighty nein #Soltryce Academy #volstrucker #Cerberus Assembly #scourger #wizard spies

[amsayshi]

[amsayshi]

[amsayshi]

I’ll be your champion.

hope u like it i worked so hard to make him as pathetic as possible

[amsayshi]

THE ROMANCE 😭🥹

I can't handle this. How much sadness can Matt fit into one PC's storyline? Guess we'll find out with my dear sweet raven boy.😭😭

Endless Bells Hells

#critical role spoilers #vax'ildan #pain #keyleth #vaxleth #matt mercer #liam o'brien