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#what made taz so good was like...everything until stolen century
ahauntedcowboy · 3 years
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me at the mcelroys: please just go back to taz dust. please i am begging you. please.
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jelloopy · 4 years
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Moonlighting Notes
Previous: Character Creation, HtbG
Moonlighting Ch 1
Boys are dizzy upon entering moon base (Why exactly was this a thing? Like was it because Lucretia made it so the bureau couldn’t be remembered/ comprehended by anyone not inoculated?)
AAVVIIIIIIII!!!!! He is from Brandybuck and gives them some brandy to ease the dizziness (Team player, I want someone like Avi in my crew.) 
JOHAAANNNNNN!!!! Half elf! v v sad boy. So talented!!! (I kinda forgot how mopey he was since I’ve been catching up with the rest of TAZ )
Magnus why you tickling a grown-ass man? (This is so funny and weird considering how their relationship grows later on?)
Best god damn musician that ever existed. Plays violin like a mad man (He plays the Violin… I feel like Lup would have challenged him so god damn fast. But still, is he the legit best Violinist in Faerune?)
Magnus drinks the Ichor first. Remembers everything that was static before now being clear as day. Months and years ago there was a war that ruined and killed entire towns, loved ones, and people he knew. (Juliaaaaaa! God that sucks realizing that tbh. But also later on Travis says that Magnus was the leader of a Militia going against Governor Kalen. So what was that about exactly? They might actually explain that later on so I gonna wait and see.)
”You have never seen anything like this”~griffin about Fisher (Oh, how incorrect that statement is. Especially for it to be Magnus he’s talking about.)
Taako drinks next then Merle (Ahh, Taako the trust issues are showinggggg! But I don’t blame you it’s okay you have full right to be sus)
Taako has a memory of working on his grandpa’s farm where he leaves the milk out too long and remembers sour cream (he was 65yrs old) (God, does that mean Lup was there too? )
Johann came up with the name “voidfish”? (To be fair the IPRE gang only called him Fisher so it actually is pretty neat if Johann really was the guy to come up with the name.)
Magic Brian was 121yrs old and a drow elf (A young man just looking for mischief)
Magnus tries to tickle Johann again bit he smacks his hand away (YES JOHANN Stand up for your self!!!!! What a king.)
Johann is in the “gamekeeping” department? (I mean he is the guy that feeds and takes care of Fisher by means of feeding him information that needs getting rid of. So it kinda makes sense.)
Moonlighting Ch 2
They meet Lucretia!  (I want to punch her so bad. I’m sorry if yall like Lucretia but she infuriates me. She actually is a really cool character with a complex personality that I can actually appreciate but I still hate what she did and I will go much deeper into it later on.)
Griffin makes a joke about having to “create a new monster that takes away memories” so that he can get Taako to unlearn some of the components to making a taco (Good god. That came back to bite us in the ass didn’t it? Huh, JUNIOR. Didn’t it? That hurts a lot too.)
Lucretia doesn’t know” what the umbrastaff is (I saw a post with some Lucretia angst which I can appreciate because she could have been “in denial” about it being Lup’s umbrastaff but I got angry nonetheless.)
She believes that they are much more capable than they believe that they are (YEAH HUH? Its almost like they have less faith in themselves because someone took away their memories and the knowledge of their powers or something and they had to start all over. Wild.)
The Bureau of Balance has only been in operation for less than a year and they were not able to do anything until they discovered the Voidfish (More like Lucretia had only then figured out the logistics of her organization enough to introduce Fisher to everyone. Which in retrospect is very smart and it’s the same thing I would do at that point in time but anyway.)
Magic Brian was a wayward seeker who worked for the bureau of balance (aHA! So technically in the Graphic Novel, he should have had a bracer on unless he used a spell to conceal it which is reasonable (I won’t hate on Carey I just remembered it and noticed he didn’t have a bracer on. it’s nothing wild))
CUE TRIAL OF INITIATION! (Ngl I forgot this was a thing because of how little attention I was paying at the beginning.)
Magnus is the strongest, Merle is the smartest, and Taako is the bravest. (In all aspects, I would have switched Taako and Merle but considering at this point Taako really was a dullard I can agree with their placements.)
The smallest ogre is blue the middle ogre is green and the big ogre is red (Awe I think Griffin used all of their fave colors to Mirror the three of em. <3)
Magnus’ first blood with ripping arms off (And so it begins. God, I love that Lil character detail in Magnus. It’s so frickin funny.)
”I thought I knew him! he’s an animal!” ~Taako (I mean in The Stolen Century he waaaas taught by a bear so… not far off there bud.)
Taako falls back and breaks his wand and in return, the umbrastaff begins to shift and wiggle in his bag until he gets it out. (It never clicked that this was the time that Griffin listed in Lup’s return in the finale. Until now… That’s so cute and so sadddddd)
Moonlighting Ch 3
Magnus got to keep the robot arm(s?) (Yay! Sadly he will give them up later on :( but it is for good reason so :) )
Lucretia came up with the name “Bureau of Balance” (Why? Like why Balance. I would name it Justice or Equity or something else but Balance doesn’t seem right in line with what they are doing.)
Lucretia treats davenport as her charge or ward (Rude. For one. It also hurts a lot more when you realize he is her superior. I hate it so much.)
”We very quickly cut your hand off take the bracer then reattach the hand so its no big deal” in reference to how they’ll get the bracers off after they find all the relics. (1- I forget how they get the bracers off in the end but did Lucretia really not plan for that?) (2- heheh *cut to Merle in three Arcs*)
The seventh relic is love “after we find the sixth item we’ll come back here” (She has the 7th in her hand actually so yeah you’re only gonna need to find six. But also it kinda was Love. The bonds they all had together helped Lucretia do what she needed in the end with the help of Taako’s idea and together they ended the Hunger’s reign over Faerune.)
”who called themselves the Red Robes- are all gone- most of them killed in the hunt for their relics- bring them back here if you find one” (Uh. Lucretia really named her family the “Red Robes” and made them sound evil because they did what they could at the time. Also they aren't “all gone” the only one(s) you don’t know their whereabouts of yet are Barry and Lup. AND YOU PUT ANTI- LICH WARDS ON THE DAMN MOON DUDE. If you really wanted to find Barry to talk then you would have not done that.)
Leon the artificer! (He is trying his best and I love him)
The umbrastaff is a magical umbrella created by the Umbrawizards “very few” of them exist (Boy HUH? Did Lup like… start a gang of wizards? Or did Lucretia feed Leon false Information?)
Taako being inept at the gashapon (My favorite thing. He is played as stupid at the time but if we consider his character, in general, knowing everything we do he is just fucking with Leon and I love him for that.)
RAILSPLITTER!!!! Phantom fist!!! Wand of switcheroo!! The X-treem teen bible and SCUTTLEBUDDY!!!! (Pay close attention! These Mousekatools will be useful later on!)
Awe Magnus got everyone the stones of far speech 
They are moving to Level 4!!!
Next: MotRPL, Lunar Interlude I,
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ladylynse · 5 years
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A TAZ/TDiR (The Adventure Zone/The Dark is Rising) crossover snippet for @grainjew‘s birthday! Happy birthday. We have so few common fandoms now I had to really go digging. It’s a good thing you’ve already been thoroughly spoiled for TAZ because this ruins key moments of The Stolen Century and Story and Song. Also, for anyone who doesn’t know it, the end of TDiR sequence, Silver on the Tree. Also on FF and the AO3.
Will Stanton had witnessed a lot of things in all his years of watching, but he’d never seen this before. This shifting, this resettling, this wrongness.
It was time to move on. To find a new profession, a new name, a new life. He thought he’d try a new field again; it was too suspicious, coming into something knowing so much but having nothing to prove that knowledge, and he didn’t want to raise anyone’s suspicions. That made things…difficult.
Will Stanton, currently a history professor at the University of Reading, was not deaf to the wild conspiracy theories of his students or the quiet mutterings of some of the faculty. He knew exactly what they thought of him. He’d just hoped he’d have a little more time before they thought to question everything.
He hadn’t realized it had been so long since he’d come here. Months had blended to years, and years to decades, before he’d noticed. And now he can’t have been here for forty years already because he still looked so young and maybe there was some mistake and—
He’d tried to avoid having his name recorded, his picture taken, but that was…difficult in today’s society. He could hardly remember a time when it hadn’t been difficult. At least he’d done a stint as a computer programmer before this; ever-changing though that field was, he’d kept up his knowledge on the side. It made disappearing easier, and he’d have to disappear again soon.
Perhaps he’d learn chemistry this time. He hadn’t tried that yet, and—
The world shifted.
Shuddered.
Disassembled and reassembled too quickly for anyone else to notice.
Everything was as it should be, but it felt like nothing was quite in its place.
There was something…missing.
He could feel it, the lost ache of something dear, and hear the echoes of screams in his head, screams that hadn’t sounded in this realm. Screams that had never sounded at all. Screams from stolen voices, silenced to almost every ear.
A click of a button submitted the students’ final grades. It was rather absurd, thinking that anyone could believe each student’s knowledge could be so summarily defined. He had no idea how many of them had taken to heart the lessons he’d been trying to teach them. About history. About humanity. About their world, now fully in their hands, and the weight of their choices or inaction.
Especially in the wake of this, of Darkness that should not be, a remnant that should be unable to touch this realm. Such things would not matter if the Dark had found a way to return. He was not supposed to act, was only to Watch, but if this world was no longer free of the Dark….
Will rose, stretched out a hand, spoke words no one else in this realm knew to speak, and walked out of the little office—out of that life—forever.
XXXXX
He found no trace of the Dark or their meddling. Years passed, and he came back to that day, to that moment, time and time again, but wherever he was, he always felt it. It seemed to have no origin on this earth. It resonated instead in every molecule, in every vibration of the universe.
He had studied physics this time, but he had learned nothing, understood nothing, until he had gone back to live that year through again for the hundredth time and beyond. This was the first time he had not felt it—the shift, the resettling, the screaming silence—and though he knew he had not missed it, he could not find what had changed.
It was the same moment experienced over again. Nothing should have changed. But it had. And he was the only one who knew, the only one who could know.
His search for answers had swept him around the world, crossing the Old Ways and common roads alike, but it was not until he had reached a crossroads of the two in the United States of America, intending to get some food from the taco truck unwittingly parked on the intersection, that he heard the Song and finally understood.
It was not the Dark. Not the Dark he had fought, the Dark whose rising tide he and the others had turned back. This was the Dark of another world, another realm. It sought to destroy, to consume. It was powerful. Insatiable. And it had come here.
It had taken as its vessel a man not unlike Hawkin, whispering in his ear and using him to bend others to its will until it had bound them all. It had risen, and it had overwhelmed them. It had won. They had let it, had welcomed it rather than fight it, but Will’s heart ached for the soul of the man lost inside, for all the souls that had been swallowed since the first. He could feel the man across the planes, struggling to remember, to breathe, to live again in the Light, even as the Darkness would have him drown.
Will knew this was not his fight.
He could not turn back this Dark alone any more than he could have staved off the second wave of the Dark that had fought for control in his world, so long ago yet still so recently.
But those who chose to fight now were not doing so alone.
When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back.
They had not been six, in the end. He had held the Sign of Stone; Merriman, Fire; Barney, Wood; Simon, Iron; and Jane, Bronze. But Bran had not held the Sign of Water alone, for he had not been able to cut the silver spray from the tree and defend against the Dark, and it had been John Rowlands who had taken it up and helped the Light. Without him, the final mistletoe blossom could not have been cut before they had been overwhelmed, and no white bird would have flown free from the tree and into the world.
Will knew, as everyone now did, about the seven birds who had guarded the Light across the realms, who had fled from the Darkness which tirelessly pursued them. He knew that they had chosen this time to stand and fight, and he knew they did not fight alone.
This was not his fight, but their Darkness was now invading his world. Their magic had reached his plane. And from the ruins of food truck before him, Will saw a brave resident of his world stand and fight back against the rising Dark. The evil inside men was a matter for men to control and not something in which he could interfere, but this was not wholly their evil.
So, he helped in the little ways he could, in the ways that wouldn’t be known, his magic masked by theirs, because it was of the Dark, and he was of the Light, and those who fought against the Dark should never need to do so alone.
XXXXX
When it was over, Will did not forget, just as he had not forgotten the last time.
Nor did he make anyone else forget.
Now that it was known, now that it was remembered, it should not be taken away.
This was not the time for forgetting, and too many mistakes had been made for forgetting in the past.
As it was, truth would become tale soon enough. Whether remembered in rhyme, masked in myth, or lost in lyric, details would fade as in dreams and memories would become muddled. Before long, all would be relegated to fable and fancy, to story and song, for such was the way of things, and however long Will watched, that would not change.
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luobingmeis · 5 years
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hey bitch dare u to answer all the questions from ur ask game xoxo
ur a coward if you think this is a dare, my narcissistic ass loves any opportunity i get to talk abt myself and my inability to love things to a normal amount means i can talk abt taz for hours!!!! get on my level, bitch!!!!!!!!
1) What/Who got you into TAZ?
my friends chris and mj @cabesmeadow !! i saw it a lot on tumblr and asked mj abt it and they were like “yeah it’s super fucking rad” and then my friend chris started listening to it over the summer so, mid-november, on a night that i had actually finished my homework early, i was like, “hey, fuck it, why not”
2) Who are you top 5 favorite characters?
(my top 5 list is not in any particular order)
taako
killian
lucretia
lup
davenport
3) What’s your favorite arc?
the eleventh hour!!!! it’s such a good fucking arc and had so many good moments oh my god
4) Favorite quote?
i have so, so, so many but my laptop is on low battery so i can’t list them all, so i’ll list the one i would most likely get tattooed:
“looking for new worlds to explore; looking for new stories to tell”
5) Favorite villain?
a tie between magic brian and edward & lydia!! i love brian so much and thought he was so funny and such a good first villain, but i also love my evil lich vogue twins
6) What was your favorite grand relic? Would you have been tempted by it?
my favorite is probably the animus bell, tho it wasn’t my fave until my most recent relistening. and oh yeah, something that would make me, essentially, immortal? i would’ve been super tempted
7) If you had to make a grand relic, what would it be? What power would it have?
i probably would have made something w/ jewerly, maybe a ring or earrings? or idk yet, i can’t think of anything cool, but ngl i think it would def having something similar to the animus bell. not That exactly, but something necrotic that, like, probably takes life energy to heal whoever is wielding it or takes life energy to feed their own
8) What moment/reveal shocked you the most?
UHHHHH “THE WORDLESS ONE” REVEAL HOLY FUCKING SHIT
9) Which “seven bird” would you have been? Or what would your role have been on the Starblaster?
ngl i think i would’ve been along the lines of “the lonely journal keeper” like!!! alligning with her role as the chronicler, i feel like that’s what i would have applied for
10) Would you have been able to make it through Wonderland?
oh definitely not. im ngl a bit… not selfish, but territorial of my things, idk what i would’ve been able to give up for the wheel, and i def wouldn’t have given up years of my life, and going for my looks would be a Hard Bargain and, even if i was in a world where i had magic, i don’t think i would’ve been strong enough to survive the challenges
11) What are some of the parts that made you the most emotional (whether it be crying, laughing, etc.)?
uhhh the magnulia cottage scene definitely, makes me sob every single time i hear it and, during my first time listening, that was what broke the damn and ended up having me cry for 30 solid minutes
12) Which track composed by Griffin was your favorite?
“madame director/lucretia/lucretia (reprise)” !!!!!
13) Which track not composed by Griffin was your favorite?
“salut d’amour” elgar!!!!!!!
14) Lucas’s Magical Institute or Taako’s Amazing School of Magic?
answered!!
15) What was your favorite cycle in Stolen Century?
not including the beach cycle bc i feel like that’s an obvi one, probably either the judges cycle or the conservatory
16) What were some of your favorite inventory items of tres horny boys?
the extreme teen bible, stephen the fish, chance lance, the umbrastaff, and the hole thrower!!
17) What animal would have been your “disguise” in Petals to the Metal?
answered!!!!
18) Are you more of a “Magnus rushes in,” “Merle follows along behind,” or “Taako’s good out here” type of person?
i think i’m a combination of “magnus rushes in” and “merle follows along behind” but tbh i Should be more “taako’s good out here”
19) Favorite Taako one-liner? Or favorites?
obviously “abraca-fuck you!”
“hey sheriff isaac, guess what time it is!” “what?” “fuck if i know!”
20) If you listen to the liveshows, do you have a favorite? Is there a particular liveshow you would love to see the McElroys do?
my favorite is a tie between san fran and new orleans!!!! and i would love to see them do something with carey and killian, like their bachelorette party or even a hangover-style live show where they lose one of the brides the day before the wedding akjskdk
21) In Wonderland, would you have been hesitant to “forsake” your opponents, or would you have done what you had to to get out?
okay ngl not to sound Terrible but if i was going up against strangers,,,,,, yeah i’d do what i had to do. it’s called the fucking suffering game not the fucking best friend game omfg
would i be able to betray my friends/companions tho??? i don’t think so, nope
22) Of the puzzles throughout the arcs, which one was your favorite?
answered!!!!
23) Would you have liked to see the dark timeline where Magnus took the chalice, or Magnus’s sidequest with Kravitz? Or are you happy with what actually ended up happening?
i love everything that happened in canon but i can admit that a magnus/kravitz sidequest would’ve been fucking sick
24) If given the option, would you have joined the Bureau of Balance? Would you have been a seeker, regulator, reclaimer, or something else?
tbh i think i would if i had to and i think i would have been a seeker
25) What magical item would you have made at the Arcaneum (from the Stolen Century)?
a cool sword!!!!! but, like, a magic sword
26) What is something, material or not, that you wouldn’t have been able to sacrifice in Wonderland?
i wouldn’t have given years off my life. i wouldn’t even have considered it
27) What would you have presented at the Conservatory?
i probably would have written something!!!!!
28) In Story and Song, many beloved NPCs made a return to take a final stand against the Hunger. Which one excited you the most?
HURLEY AND SLOANE!!!!
29) What was your reaction when Magnus was revealed to be a red robe, and then to the memories that followed?
i was so fucking confused but, like, in a good way, and so fucking shocked oh my god
30) What was your reaction when you found out who Lup was, and then to what happened to her?
answered!!!!
31) What was your reaction to Merle losing touch with Pan, and then to Pan’s return when the Planes were reconnected?
ngl it was pretty hard hitting and not for, like, any spiritual reason or anything, but just bc merle literally had Nothing at that point and i felt so bad for him and was so nervous but also “i’m not your pan, but you’ll always be my merle” is probably, without a doubt, one of my favorite taz quotes
32) Who are some characters that you would have liked to see interact more?
LUP AND LUCRETIA!!!!! @ GRIFFIN: LET THEM INTERACT MORE I DON’T GIVE A SHIT IF IT’S JUST AN HOUR OF YOU TALKING TO YOURSELF
33) Flaming Raging Poisoning Sword of Doom or the Umbrastaff?
the umbrastaff!!!!
34) Something you learned from Balance?
that very rarely are there ever easy decisions, and that you have to give yourself time to love and love without boundaries because, even with the years and years people have, so much time can be spent not loving the people you have
also it taught me the type of writer i want to be, and honestly taz has inspired me so much to keep pursuing writing, even when i feel like finally giving in
35) Who?
i̶͎͈̞͆̄̾̄̕'̷̛̮̄̒̓͘m̵͍̖̜͂̔͛͘͝ ̶̡̦͙͍͋̑̂̅͠d̵̟̖̭̳̄͌́a̵̻̎̍͂̃̍v̸̲͇̮͊̽͒̚͝ḛ̵̳͔͗̊n̷̻̳͓͎̠͐p̷̰̘̘̭̗̈́̒ơ̵̪r̸͔̝̈̇͘͠t̸̫̠̯͗ ̴̨̛̖͕̟̦̀̏̂̚ḯ̸̜'̶̨̨̖̮̃̃̈́̿m̸͖̰̙̉̏̔̄́ ̵̺̊̓̃̽̓d̸̝̣̈͊a̶̩̪̖̝̽̚ṿ̴̝̙̣͈̐̊e̷̢̛̦̫̓̇͋n̸̨̖̽͐͊͗p̴̡̥͖̞̈́ͅö̵̭̼̘́͋̿ṟ̶͎͍͙͇͑̇̈̉͝t̸̢͕͓͓̠̆͊ ̷̛̟͕̂̌͛ĩ̶̤̺͕'̸̹͓͙̥̺̀ṃ̵̢̻͇̓̈́̚ͅ ̴̜͙͉̯͌̋̐͝d̴͈̜̐̀͘͝a̷̗̹̪͈̿v̴͔͓͑̕͠ȇ̸̞̲̇͛̕ǹ̶̬͉̼̫͂͌p̸͕͐o̵̮͝ŗ̸̘͝ṱ̷̤̫̀̓̉͂̑ ̵̝̞̩̆̍i̶͖̗͔̥̬͐͌̚͝'̸͍̍̋͜m̵̦̼͂͒ ̴̯̈̽͌̕d̶̮̾̀́ǎ̵̢̹̋͊̉̈v̶̨̟̼͓̅ͅḙ̴̟̼̒n̴̝̬͂̍͊͂̀p̶͔̗͂ơ̸̲̰̬̎̀͛̌r̷̬̞̱̍́́̉t̸͙̏͗̎̓̕ ̵̣̅ḭ̶̱̮͓̈͛̑͑'̸̫̞̣̬̊m̵̢̥̀ͅ
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Some Thoughts on the last few weeks in the CR Fandom
There’s been a lot of talk/drama the last few weeks in the CR fandom about certain events that transpired recently on the way to Shady Creek Run. Let me preface this with the fact that you’re totally allowed to be mad/sad/upset about what happened. I’m not saying you’re wrong to feel that way, you’re totally entitled to your opinion and if I offend you at any point beyond this (if you keep reading, which, I totally get if you don’t) I’m sorry. This is just my opinions on why some of you might feel the way you do, and an attempt to rationalize it for people who disagree and can’t see why you may feel that way. 
At the risk of sounding Patronizing to people who think Mercer is an old-school hardcore DM, or that he unfairly treated Tal’s character I do kind of understand it. I can’t speak for everybody, but Mercer and Critical Role were my introduction to D&D outside of things like Stranger Things and ET, which referenced it and the FLGS in my neighborhood when I was a kid where it was at the periphery, but we were playing pokemon, so didn’t really notice it.
TAZ and CR Campaigns’ 1 Spoilers below this
So, long story short, prior to CR, I had no reference of rules and stuff and obviously never played the game myself. Now, I’ve listened to/watched a few other D&D campaigns since then (and am involved in a few games), but seemingly the most popular outside of Critical Role to my knowledge is The Adventure Zone and many fans of Critical Role, especially newer and younger ones, are cross over fans from TAZ. And while both are very good and very enjoyable, in terms of fidelity to the rules vs fidelity to the narrative, CR and TAZ couldn’t be more different.
Critical Role is a game that tells a story, the ending of which isn’t completely set in stone because Matt wants the game to inform the narrative, meaning the rules of the game are the foundation on which the story is told and can effect the narrative in a very unique way. To make a Doctor Who reference that I think is apt- In Critical Role, Time is not a straight line. From a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint (the audience) it’s a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey-wimey...stuff. Something seemingly innocuous, like a player picking up a trapped piece of armor, or choosing to help the party instead of guarding a prisoner, can cause ripple effects that change the narrative forever. Basically, in Matt’s game, rolls and the rules they’re based on, come first because at the end of the day the rolls (and their rules) guide the direction of the story.
Meanwhile, The Adventure Zone is a radio play that had a set narrative that uses aspects of D&D 5e to deepen the story in some fun, and creative ways. From about the end of “Here There Be Gerblins” or maybe midway through “Murder on the Rockport Limited” it became pretty clear that Griffin was telling a story using D&D to allow his family to improv as characters within his story, but kept them in a pretty straight line in order to tell his story. It became clear by around “Crystal Kingdom” that there was no real fidelity to the rules as written or of character death, because Griffin’s narrative was the most important part of everything and Griffin’s narrative all but required that Taako, Merle, and Magnus survive the story to get to The Stolen Century and the only *real* risk of death was in the end game. Killian was always going to get them out of the blast radius of Fandalen. Hurley was always going to save them from Sloane. Lich!Barry or a recently survived Kravitz would’ve saved Magnus if Taako hadn’t. These plot points were going to happen because Griffin was telling a story, not crafting one. 
And this isn’t to say one is objectively better than the other. They are both phenomenal sources of entertainment that I have watched and/or listened to multiple times over. But at the end of the day Griffin does things like throw the wizard a Dues Ex Machina that restores all his spell slots without the need of a long rest because the narrative is written and the narrative informs the game and the narrative can’t have the party TPK because they decided to take on two liches without any spells and dangerously low on HP. And at the end of the day on CR Matt can only apologize that the party finds themselves with a party death after winding up woefully outmanned, out gunned, and out spelled because they decided to go boss hunting without taking a short rest after a hard encounter because the party made a decision and didn’t recognize a trap until it was too late.
And that difference/comparison, that I feel a lot of people are making, paints Matt as this hard ass rules guy. If you’re coming into CR with little to no TTRPG, like I did, with your only exposure being Griffin’s very laissez faire approach to the rules and not letting them effect his narrative in a seriously altering capacity, Matt’s more rules centric style could be jarring or offputting. 
TL;DR Matt and the party use Critical Role/D&D to craft a story in real time, Griffin uses(d?) The Adventure Zone to tell a story. Crafting a story means narrative flow is going to be messy and sometimes unenjoyable. 
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mystery-moose · 6 years
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BIG OL’ WIP LIST
List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on.
I got tagged by @philosoverted, who has been wonderfully supportive of all her friends’ writing even when it’s for fandoms she isn’t even a part of. Because she’s fantastic.
I’m going to be kind of vague with some of these, though, because I like to preserve some semblance of surprise for anyone who happens to be following me for writing!
I’d put them behind a cut but apparently tumblr hates readmores right now? So instead I’ll just apologize for this long post that’s about to break your dash please i’m sorry it’s not my fault tumblr sucks eggs
AMatMMP
This is the direct sequel to Angus McDonald and the Flight of the Flying V. It is very long, not the longest thing I’ve ever written (yet) but certainly the longest thing I’ll have finished when it’s finally done. It’s also very complicated, because I like mysteries and plots and hate myself. I especially hate what I’ve done by setting it so close after the first one because it means I can’t write anything else with these characters until I’ve finished this.
But I swear to you and God and whoever is listening: this summer it’s happening.
Shelter
Think of everything I’ve ever written. Thematically and emotionally. Now, multiply it by a thousand and make it even more self-indulgent. You should have some idea of what Shelter is. It’s not plot-heavy (thank christ) and it doesn’t have any action or adventure. But it is everything I’ve connected with over the past year and a half, made into a single super-specific-to-me thing that stretches into a hazy future that I might never actually finish. But the fun thing is I don’t have to finish it, necessarily; I just want to write enough to get to the One Big Moment, the thing I’ve been thinking about since, oh, a year ago. That’ll act as enough of a catharsis that I can feel good about posting it, if I never end up finishing the rest.
Basically this is the epitome of me being Back On My Bullshit. I adore it. Someday soon, I hope to start posting it. Probably after AMatMMP, though.
Money and Fame (working title)
A few months ago I came up with a little adventure for Taako and Kravitz to go on. I really liked it at the time, but I waffled on writing it because I felt like... well, it involves Sazed, and I thought I might be being too charitable to him? But I haven’t been able to get a couple scenes of it out of my head, so it’s almost certainly getting written at some point. But it’ll likely be a much shorter, more focused thing than my usual plot-heavy junk. No flashbacks in this one, I don’t think!
The Lucretia Longfic (title TBD)
I got a bee in my bonnet last summer (thanks to @epersonae and her posse) and wrote, like, twenty thousand words of a Lucretia thing. I’ve since realized that it is Bad, and needs so, so much more time than I was giving it. It’ll happen at some point, I’m sure -- I like Lucretia too much to never finish it -- but it’s... she’s probably the best character with the strongest arc in the entirety of TAZ, and she deserves the best I’ve got, and my best so rarely feels like enough for her.
Candlenights
This is set after AMatMMP, so it’s getting finished after AMatMMP. It’s a meet-the-fam fic, with almost zero conflict whatsoever, but I’ve since realized it needs a different third act and I haven’t figured out how to end the damn thing. I’ve got a few thousand words for it already, but as soothing as I find writing it, this might not get finished for a while.
Fighting Words
This was gonna be a simple little series of one-shots for each of the THB (and maybe the IPRE) just gettin’ into some scraps. It’s still going to be that thing, but it’s just been set aside for a long time in favor of, uh, every other project I’ve got going. I’ll get back to it when I feel like posting something in short order, I’m sure.
The Great Taako-Burnsides Fight (title TBD)
I wrote a whole outline for a thing where Taako gets into a fight with Magnus about Lucretia, and then Magnus literally throws him out of his house and Taako feels really bad about it for like a week and Magnus fumes for a bit and then there’s a big ol’ forced sit-down with Lucretia and it’s yet another vision of mine for how Taako and Lucretia could ever, like, be okay again. It’s like the third version of this idea that I’ve plotted out (the Lucretia Longfic and Bygones being the other two) because apparently I’m just really into semi-forgiveness, as a concept. The funny thing? I’ve kind of settled on one that’s my personal “canon” for how it happens, and the other two are just AUs. I don’t normally do that! Normally when I establish a personal “canon” that’s all I write. TAZ has been really weird for me, in a lot of ways.
Anyway, it might get written at some point? It’s not super long, in the outline I’ve got. But there’s so many other things above it at this point, I think it’ll only happen soon if I get a real hankerin’ for it.
Cycle 95
This is a semi-follow up to Cycle 71, but it’s a different thing. The gang ends up on a planet where the Light is being held by a farming town terrorized by raiders, and have been bullied by them for generations. They have to help them fight the bandits to get the Light. (Taako is frustrated and suggests just taking it by force, but the townsfolk make it clear they would die fighting.) They end up training the townsfolk over the course of a year, defeat the bandits, and save the town. Their victory is an inspiration to surrounding communities, who create their own bands of protectors clad in red, and long after the IPRE has left, their legacy remains in the peace they create.
So this is straight up some Seven Samurai bullshit, because why not? The twist is that the town elder is something of a prophet, and as the IPRE train the townsfolk, he has a solitary moment with each of the seven in which he gives them advice that foreshadows what they’ll go through on Abeir-Toril. It’s not a lot, certainly nothing that changes how anything goes down, but I enjoy the cutesy foreshadowing and reassurance of who each character has developed into. (The only person who doesn’t get one is Taako. He avoids the elder like the plague. He gets his own moment, to himself.)
I will almost assuredly write this someday. Probably soon. It’s just so much fun to me. And it won’t be that long, either! Comparable to Cycle 71, I’d imagine. As with anything in the Stolen Century, I’d want to keep it short. There’s just too much room to lose yourself in that arc, any single year could be a hundred thousand words, and I just refuse to fall into that hole.
AMatItCJ (working title)
This is the “Angus at Neverwinter University solves a mystery with the help of his college buddies/Persona-style Investigation Team” and it is VERY loosely plotted but will almost certainly be VERY long and TOO complicated and I REFUSE to write it, do you hear me, I REFUSE.
(I’ve got character outlines and a basic plot and a few flashbacks and a final parlor scene and that’s basically it. I’ve actually thought about collaborating with someone on it, but I’m afraid I’d be too much of a control freak about it. This one might never happen.)
TaakoQuest (title TBD)
Kravitz is taken by a demonic entity anathema to the Raven Queen and is trapped inside a plane where no celestial entity or emissary can venture, purely to taunt her. Lup and Barry are helpless. Every other member of the IPRE and the founding Bureau is long dead. The Raven Queen asks Taako to do it. So he does.
This one literally came to me in the car ride home tonight, when I was thinking about Luster and how much I enjoyed the Taako-as-scientist scenes in that fic. I might write down some bits and pieces for it right now. It won’t be long. Maybe won’t even be multi-chapter. It’s just yet another exercise in showing Taako caring for other people through action, and in which he gets to act like a total baller.
I have very few settings, apparently.
This’ll almost certainly get written at some point, but maybe not soon. I’ve still got school stuff to do, but I like the bits I’ve thought of enough that I’ll almost certainly inflict them on you all at some point. But don’t worry, it won’t be nearly as emotionally harrowing as Luster. I can be cruel, but not THAT cruel.
THE ULTIMATE MOST SELF-INDULGENT GARBAGE EVER WRITTEN
I love Pyre.
I love schmoopy, slow-burn romance.
I will probably finish this someday.
I will never post it.
THAT’S IT
I’m almost certainly forgetting one or two, but I’m pretty sure that this is all I’ve got percolating in my head and WIP folder right now.
I’m sorry it’s so long, and I’m extra sorry I’m so bad at writing things regularly.
But I’m not sorry I don’t post things until they’re finished. I learn from my mistakes. I will never leave my readers hanging again!!
oh i guess i have to tag some people huh
uhhhhhhh @orchidcactus @fistfulofgammarays @anonymousalchemist @marywhal aaaaaaaand @emi--rose
TELL ME YOUR SECRETSSSS
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pencilscratchins · 7 years
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what are your top five favorite moments from taz? i love your taz art, are you planning on doing more of it??
aww thank you! I do, but probably just as inspiration comes!! I have no plans as of right now haha!! but- fuck this is a hard question! there are so god damn many. I’m intensely into storytelling (I’m an Enlgish major homies) so I’m about to go OFF on yous, so it’s time for Patented Rebecca Under Cut. 
I’m going to try to avoid some more commonly favorite scenes- not because they’re not amazing! But stuff like “arms outstretched” and “chug and squeeze”- like I looooove them- but they get a lot of praise, so I’m gonna try to shine some light on some underappreciated stuff! I mean theres barely any underappreciated moments because again Griffin did the most with this campaign, like hey’re all amazing. also spoilers obviously.
5) Kind of a Shitty Wizard from Murder of the Rockport Limited Episode 12. I mean, it’s just hilarious. Jenkins is probably my favorite big bad, because sweet christmas- his interactions with the Tres Horny Boys are just fucking hilarious and this goof is one of the best running gags in the entire campaign- I’m, of course, talking about Taako bullying Jenkins on refusing to burn sell slots to do his job and then eating a carrot stick. I literally have a note on my phone that has the time stamp and episode of every reference to this that’s how much this makes me laugh. This isn’t really underappreciated, but fuck do I love it.
4) I Can Fuck Any Onion I Want! (Hurley’s Sacrifice) Petals to the Metal Episode 27. Hurley’s sacrifice is one of the most iconic and heartbreaking and tear jerking scenes in the entire podcast, and I was admittedly a LITTLE off put by it until Griffin a) owned up to the fault he accidentally fell into bury your gays and then b) unburied his gays, but now on my second listen. God, it is beautiful. HOWEVeR, her sacrifice and the conversation with the sash holds home with my absolute favorite Merle moment possibly of all time. I mean Petals to the Metal has great Merle moments all around but Clint is just fucking hilarious and this exchange was such a good break from the heartbreak, it just has a special place in my heart.
3) A Really Good Day from Stolen Century Episode 65. I don’t get a chance to talk about this a lot, but I have an extremely close relationship with my brothers- ever since we were kids, they’re probably my best friends- so sibling relationships in media will always, always, always be my favorite but they are rarely done well. It’s the reason why I got into McElroy products in the first place- their relationships with each other reflects my relationship with my brothers almost to a tee- so obviously, as brothers, Griffin and Justin do Taako and Lup so beautifully. They have so many great moments together, but this will probably be my favorite (okay maybe “count the shells” is my favorite but thATS NOT A SCENE) because of the line “I love Barry with all my heart… but [you]… you are my heart.”  This is one of those rare moments that legitimately made me cry- I’m a little bit of a wimp, I tear up a lot at things, but I was full on WEEPING at this part. 
2) Barry’s Back from the Suffering Game Episode 57. God the Red Robe plot line is so good. Travis does such a cool thing with Magnus completely not knowing how to handle keeping a secret, then the reveal… but like god. This cannot be topped. Like the decision to bring Barry back is probably one of Griffin’s strongest and the slow reveal of his identity is just phenomenal. What I love the most about it is like… he listened to the fandom- people wanted Barry back, even as a joke- but he did it in a way no one was really expecting. It was such a moment of utter awe- I went into the cast with no spoilers and I’m so glad I did because I was speechless when this happened- people have said this before, but Griffin going fuck it and calling renaming that long ass serious name as Barry Bluejeans is the moment I realized I was gonna love this podcast, because like. They threw convention out the window and made DnD their medium not a set of rules. The whole part of bringing him back and the way he did it… just amazing. LIKE who can make a fucking pair of jeans sound SO DRAMATIC and NOT be a joke? It’s so fucking good. AND CLINT LAUGHING AS HE FIGURES IT OUT IS SO GOOD. 
1) The Bank Scene (Isaak’s Diary) from The Eleventh Hour Episode 46. Oh my god. So I think I’ve said this before but The Eleventh Hour is my favorite arc, hands down, so I challenged myself to only pick one scene from this arc. It was down to “you’re going to be amazing” and this but this won because scene is just… oh god it’s so. fucking. good. Literally, everything is phenomenal- this is the longest selection because from the moment Taako goes “there’s a mole!” to the end of the episode is amazing. Like them fucking up the plan, to Merle commanding the wrong guard, to Magnus throwing Taako (”Taako gets the gold”!)- its probably one of the most text book Tres Horny Boys scene ever lmao. And then, like Griffin reading the diary entry with the music in the background as the clay is drowning them- and the fucking “Junebug”… Honestly, I’ve listened to it so many times, but every time I get chills GOD! Eleventh Hour has probably my favorite overall music, and like I don’t think there’s a better cinematic point where Griffin uses it than this scene. It feeLS like a movie, you listen to it and you see it- god I just can’t explain how much I LOVE this scene! Hands down, my favorite moment.
OKAY THAT WAS REALLY HARD BECAUSE FUCK I LOVE THIS PODCAST BUT YEAH. Those are some of my favorites- I love basically every second though tbh lmao
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irradiatedsnakes · 7 years
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hey hello here’s the car boys unifying theory, i made a fun corkboard with the thread everywhere just like them conspiracy theorists in the movies
spoilers for the finale of car boys & the stolen century arc of the adventure zone follow
the crutch of this theory rests on the the two endings being separate timelines: the boystos/separation timeline (the bad ending) [the ending shown before the credits, when griffin and nick are separated and set adrift in endless emptiness] and the candle in the wind timeline (the true ending) [the after-credits ending, griffin and nick stuck in the car together, perpetually fleeing from the blob through the time ring] {there is no good end}
the separation timeline / bad end
most of what happens in this timeline to the boys is based off this video by youtube user brockrin- which the boys have tweeted about so by my standards its canon plflfnfft
to sum it up- alone for an eternity in endless Nothingness, the boys become the bustos-  nick 1.0 and griffin 2.0- and attempt to go back and stop themselves in the past from fucking everything up, but fail
this timeline (im sorry for homestuck terminology but,) is a stable time loop, nothing ever changes- its them going around and around again trying and failing to stop themselves. its bad
but its important to note that griffin and nick were not the only ones in the time ring when they got separated- which brings me to Ball
Ball has qualities of both the ovo and the blob, as it has blob-like physics (even leading to the it hates water! revelation) and its roundness and fondness of rolling just like ovo
Ball becomes separated from itself. the white sections become the ovo, and the black sections the blob
the candle in the wind timeline / true end
now things get a little buckwild
the basic premise of this timeline is that nick and griffin stay in the waterproof pessima lx for , basically eternity, travelling through the time ring in an endless chase with the blob
the reason that they don’t break down like in the bad end is pretty much that being stuck in a perpetual expanse of time and space with a friend is infinitely better than being stuck there alone
this is where coolgames inc starts! essentially a way to pass time when youve quite literally got nothing but time. (and as nick said, there’s wifi in the void)
this is where the guest-o-matic in the cgi animations comes in! and, in addition, there is a “canon” connection with cb in the cook for cube cgi animation- perhaps the two timelines converging for just a second ? 
uncle buck from uncle buck
in the time ring we see countless galaxies pass by as they travel downwards- they travel through endless amounts of realities and planes as the blob pursues them
taking a moment here to explain something else integral to this- in car boys, nick has the power of creation, the ability to spawn and create objects in the game. griffin, conversely, has the power of manipulation, he’s much of the driving force behind important decisions and actions taken in the show. this becomes important
this is when touch the skyrim takes place- in a number of the universes they pass through down and down into the time ring, griffin takes advantage of these powers of manipulation to modify the word around them because like why not, its fun
what’s wrong with this dream, nick
as the boys + the blob pass through universe after universe in the time ring, the bob catalyzes the event in the original universe of Jon (taz) that originally creates the hunger- the blob merges with the inhabitants of that universe and the hunger is born  (note: this may be edited in the coming weeks as we learn more abt the hunger and its origin)
and the boys realize this- that the universes that theyre passing through are being consumed behind them- and they begin looking for a solution, which materializes in the form of the original taz universe, the homeworld of thb and ipre and all that. 
it’s also at this point that the light of creation really like, becomes the light of creation its- its nick? its nick. nick is the light of creation. this fact being proposed is what prompted me to make this theory in the first place
griffin shapes the world of taz and becomes the dm/narrator (note especially in recent episodes during the into to taz the narrator uses ‘we’ and ‘us’- as if he is part of this world and is involved in the story) and the two boys follow the ipre through the planes of existence in order to help them find a way to defeat the hunger/blob and save all of reality from the monster that they created
and i think its a canon thing that the light of creation is split into the relics? that happens. thats pretty sad i think
..until we get to the present- the hunger descending upon what will likely be the multiverse’s final stand against the hunger in the main taz universe (the one with two moons and stuff). cant wait for the taz finale bros
other things & honorable mentions
thanks to everyone in the mcelstuck & car boys discord for help with this whole thing! 
@rikki-tikki-taako​‘s explanation of how the true timeline boys are saved from the bad timeline: “what i'm getting at is why didn't true timeline nick and griffin get separated and warped the true saviors of true timeline nick and griffin emoji car and miku car embodiments of crucial aspects of nick and griffins beings, their integrity largely untampered with(i don't believe either of them ever god trashed), and bow i think of it relatively unscathed compared to the horrors introduced to everything else because there were always more important matters to draw nick and griffin away, they came just when nick and griffin didn't have time to make the same mistakes as all the other timelines so in the midst of god trashing, their pillars distorting, they combined with their respective aspects and regained their conceptual integrity, in a way like pause error respawning frequently merged objects in beamng, the pause indicated by their seeming lack of awareness of having to merge with them”
@cinnamon-marthmallows​ originally came up with “nick is the light of creation”, the fact that spawned this entire theory
@goodraandyy​‘s infograph on the split timelines and commentary on the ball/blob/hunger that you should check out & reblog here “ball turned into the blob which followed nick and griffin towards the taz universe - however, it is not john himself, it was simply drawn to his misery and suffering and mistook him for nick and griffin. john then harboured the power of the blob to create the hunger storm, which took over the universe“
@horticulturelesbian​ created the car boys discord thank u so much kar
@cheshiure​ compiled the cb unifying theory google doc
@coneboyofficial made this beautiful image
@magehand​ for this image: 
@babylonian @griffins-tumbo
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tl;dr
the two endings of car boys are separate timelines
griffin and nick in the bad/pre-credits timeline became the bustos, Ball became the ovo & the blob
griffin and nick in the true/post-credits timeline continued travelling through the time ring, coming up with coolgames inc and touch the skyrim
the hunger is born from the blob interacting with jon’s whole deal
taz happens, griffin becomes the dm, nick becomes the light of creation, the boys follow the ipre gang through the universes to try and find a way to finally defeat it
thanks everybody 
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morathor · 7 years
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The Adventure Zone 61/?
"I rolled an eleven!"
"You pee while shooting two flamethrowers into the air."
New theme song!  Or maybe the previous episode had it too and I didn't notice, but like The Stolen Century has its own opening theme apparently.  Super cool. So they go over a little more how the cycles run, they skip ahead a bit, and it's touchdown time in the Mushroom Kingdom.  Magnus' plan is very practical and pragmatic--keep an eye out for the Light and then IMMEDIATELY go for it.  But Merle spends his year much more interestingly.  Y'know Merle's religion is usually not taken that seriously in this show, we had a little bit about his philosophy and the very easy-going way of it, and how he was sort of just raised in the church and went along with it but.  This?  "These people have it rough, and it's going to get rougher in about a year, let me do something that gives them comfort and hope, even if it's only for a while."  Yes.  YES.  I LOVE IT.  I gotta say though, Taako's idea of a decoy light of creation is pretty boss, I don't think paper mache's gonna fool The Hunger there bro.  And it didn't, it didn't work the way he intended, he wasn't able to meaningfully fool The Hunger or keep its attacks away from the civilized areas.  But he did get some new information about both the Light and The Hunger.
Magnus had a really solid, logical plan for searching for the Light, I'm very impressed.  So Griffin is tweaking the system a bit to be harder on "mixed success" which I guess is fair, it wasn't all that "mixed" before.  But he still gave Travis a choice of what sort of problems would accompany that.  Do you lose a companion from the ship?  Do you lose all your local allies?  Or do you just get real fuckin sick?  They say these mushroom spores are fatal, so this is like a terminal illness.  But Magnus knows 1) time is of the essence and 2) he's going to reset later so he just focuses on "How productive can I be for the rest of the cycle."  And then he just... goes to sleep one night and doesn't wake up.  But the others find the Light so it's good except UM IT GOT KINDA DARK.  Like... the Light enthralled these mushroom peeps, and unlike the previous peeps who got the light and then started making advances in technology and stuff, they just... died.  They were too entranced to take care of themselves and they died.  That's... yyyyyyyyeah.  That's disconcerting.
And Merle.  Merle stays with the congregation.  And gives a lovely little sermon about faith, about doubt and uncertainty and not knowing the future or what's going to happen, but being able to trust that there is something ahead worth walking into.  It was short but I was really, really happy to see like... a positive depiction of faith and religion that resonates with me like this.
And another cycle!  RoboWorld, yeh, Magnus gonna get him some arms.  Apparently this is the setting of TAZ Nights (Knights?  I'm not sure, I've seen both written).  I like the robot civilization, I think it's super interesting that they like... mime eating food.  What's that all about?  Well turns out these are actually soulbots, and I guess they are just doin that because that's how they did when they were flesh people.  And maybe are nostalgic, or just feel like they want the structure.  Seems like there's a whole bunch of souls sealed up somewhere, taking turns in the bodies, so like.  When you really miss having a physical form you can take a body out for a spin and it's not really your old body but you try to do the things that you used to love, even if they're not quite the same--oh look I made myself sad.
So the boys' plans.  For this year.  Magnus wants to put a grapple arm on the ship like fuckin Outlaw Star.  Gonna go spaceship wrasslin.  Taako takes his kleptomania up to eleven holy shit, "I'm gonna loot this entire planet" Taako maybe chill.  Maaaaaaybe chill.  Or not so much, because the looting spree is pretty fun.  Got another few good moments with Lup too.
Merle once again pulls ahead in terms of great ideas, roleplaying-wise: teaming up with Lucretia to chronicle and save as much as they can.  They don't have a clue where the Light is, not even really a starting point, so they don't think they can save this world, but they can preserve its memory.  (And Clint and Griffin kind of went back to the conversation Merle and Lucretia had at the spa and like... foreshadowed it?  It was lovely.)
So then they find the soul gem, this immense power that they don't want The Hunger to have and Davenport immediately goes into Tough Choices mode and Taako and Magnus are on board but Lup.  Lup is not down with this.  This is a lot more characterization than she's gotten up to this point, and it's really, really good (although Griffin has a hard time keeping her voice consistent for more than a sentence or two it seems).  And she pushes, and fights, until they find a third option than "destroy everything" or "let The Hunger have it."  Taako comes up with it, specifically.  I feel like Lup means a lot to him and her opinion means a lot to him and that's really great, I love that.
So they shrink the giant soul crystal and take most of the people with them, but a few elect to stay behind and fight and Magnus.  Oh boy Magnus just giving them whatever training and tactical insight he can, even though he knows better than most how insurmountable this threat is.  He knows he can't save them but he wants to give them every chance, every moment that he can.  And Lup gives a few last words of encouragement, and also a gun of encouragement.
So I am!  Officially!  Caught!  Up!  On The Adventure Zone until tomorrow.  New episode tomorrow.  Y’know Thursday’s actually not a good night for me to listen to a podcast, it’s one of my busier nights.  I’m just gonna have to sit through like a day of spoilers and catch it Friday.  That’s okay I usually don’t catch Ladies of Darkness (the other podcast I listen to, @ladiesofdarkness,  maybe check that out it’s good shit) until the day after it comes out. So Adventure Zone will just be, same.
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