#c1e69

[your-turn-to-role]

so in the original campaign percy was only dead for a day and vm killed ripley pretty quickly, meaning the old fans are just as in the dark about what's gonna happen next with them as the new fans!

but as a balm to everything that happened this week i wanna post the original scene immediately following percy's resurrection, because it's a cute character moment on multiple people's part

[loudestlibrarianongodsgreenearth]

Percy when he’s on the fence about whether he should come back to life and then the beautiful elf lady says she loves him

[vexahlias-bow]

Leave it to Taliesin Jaffe to have the most heartbreaking resurrection scenes

[twinklestarss]

Perc'ahlia x Kisses 💋

C1E30 | C1E45 | C1E69 | C1E72 | C1E84 | C1E93 | C1E94 | C1E105 | Dalen’s Closet

[stone-stars]

a while ago i made a post about naddpod music and @metamagic-adept brought up kingshammer in the replies. and yeah, i can't resist. so. kingshammer essay, let's do this.

first of all: huge, huge thanks to @operationslipperypuppet for helping me with this; she found a bunch of uses (esp for c3) and contributed truly so much to the analysis as well.

now, the use of kingshammer differs by campaign. so! really quickly. here is every use of kingshammer in naddpod.*

*as of c3e53. obligatory spoiler warning for every naddpod episode up to that point.

(continued under the cut as i was not kidding about this being an essay-- i will leave a tl;dr of sorts towards the end)

c1e45: The Kings protect the Boobs from the avalanche (except Hardwon)

c1e54: Hardwon's death*

c1e54: Hardwon's visions while he's dead*

c1e54: Hardwon is revivified*

c1e55: Hardwon's dreamless sleep after dying*

c1e65: JV and Rosa in the fog, when he gives her his lantern*

c1e65: JV, the Duskmother, and Moradin*

c1e69: Hardwon seeing the day his father died while in Galad's sword

c1e75: Hardwon speaking up in the astral council: "You don't broker a deal with someone who calls themself a God"

c1e80: Hardwon's flashback in Hell: "Looks like a Dwarf to me"

c1e81: Hardwon fuses the Bronzebeard and Coldain hammers

c1e86: Hardwon throws King Coldain the Kingshammer in the Tarrasque fight

c1e86: Coldain returns the Kingshammer to Hardwon in the Tarrasque fight

c1e87: Hardwon and King Coldain talk about succession of the throne

c1e90: Hardwon dreams of Grimthor MacGannis in the fall of Irondeep

c1e91: Hardwon notices that the debris from Irondeep collapsing is gone

c1e93: Hardwon and King MacGannis talk about the Godshammer / MacGannis offers Hardwon the MacGannis Kingshammer

c1e98: Pestilence sends Bev and Bubbles to a Maze

c1e98: Bev in the maze, following Bubbles (instead of Erlin)

c1e99: Bev Sr. possesses Balnor so he can bless Bev's sword

-

c2e2: Fia and Zirk talk about their mentors and their books

c2e14: Jabari sees the past and is controlled to need to protect the King

c2e14: Jabari (still mind controlled) attacks Corbeau

c2e20: Bathilda retells the betrayal of the Blades / Cain and Moxora's attack on the Blades meeting

c2e21: Losgrar explains the Crux, and the cave in that killed hundreds

c2e22: The Third Mates plead with the Scrappers and Grez / The Scrappers and Grez stand off in the basement

c2e28: The Third Mates get through to Walder Lachnamoore (using Kenley's map and Remove Curse)

c2e40: The start of the ritual with the crown and Irina (that is ultimately corrupted by Moxora)

c2e41: Henry removing the crown

-

c3e21: Callie approaches and soothes the Silver Serpent

c3e27: Big Bev and Callie go down in the High King fight, the King tries to escape, Calder fails to finish him

c3e34: Murph talks about Moradin, the Kingshammer itself, and the blessings people seek at his statue

c3e38: Callie tries to soothe the Bronze Serpent (first attempt)

c3e38: Callie tries to soothe the Bronze Serpent (second attempt)

c3e39: Callie tries to soothe the Bronze Serpent (final attempt, after bean rat, which succeeds)

c3e45: Callie enters the helm ("I'm coming Calder")

c3e45: Hardwon summons the spirit guardians

(note: uses in c1 marked as a * are credited instead as "A Sight For Sore Eyes", and i'd also like to mention that i didn't exclude side campaigns or oneshots from this list. kingshammer just... isn't used outside of the main campaigns.)

now, looking at this list, there's something that's immediately obvious: you can't talk about kingshammer without talking about hardwon surefoot.

... and i say that, but i'm going to immediately do the opposite of that and talk about non-hardwon uses in c1 and c3, as well as all uses in c2. also, keep in mind that not every use 100% fits these categories, sometimes kingshammer is just the right song for the moment, and that's fine. let's get into it!

first: moradin. the man who created the hammer, so of course it would be used for him. i would place both of JV's scenes here (the first scene, though not featuring moradin directly, is tied to JV's afterlife), as well as the c3e34 moradin statue scene. (i also wouldn't be surprised if the JV scenes get kingshammer partially because of its link to jake like. on a meta level. but i digress)

second: once the godshammer is created in episode 93 (put a pin in that), kingshammer is no longer used for hardwon or the weapon itself. in the first campaign, the song shows up a few more times, all for beverly: when he's in the maze during the pestilence fight, and when bev sr. possesses balnor to speak to bev. these fall in line, to me, with the early uses of kingshammer for hardwon (post his death in ep54). being beyond the planes of the living, being trapped. hardwon sees lydia there and has to leave her behind for his friends; beverly sees erlin and does the same.

third: in eldermourne, kingshammer is largely used for rituals and betrayals, and is especially tied to the cycle of mistrust and betrayal that surrounds the children of the trickster; the final use being when henry goes to remove the crown from irina in the finale. it's seeded with the introduction of the guardians of the grove books in ep 2, and continues throughout. i'm not going to touch on every use here, some fit more obviously, but i want to call out a few things: 1. re; the use in e28, walder lachnamoore was specifically involved in the downfall of the summer and autumn children of the trickster after they had been manipulated by moxora/heredecia and 2. every other use comes in a pair (the use in 2 sets up bathilda's story in 28 / the two uses in 14 are both jabari getting controlled / 21 and 22 are the ghost dragon / 40 and 41 are both the crown)

fourth, i'm just going to quote emily on the c3e27 short rest: "kingshammer in [campaign 3] i'm trying to put under dragons and serpents, 'cause they're the weapons of this campaign." this covers the uses in eps 21, 27, 38, and 39. the use in 34 is for moradin, and the only other c3 use left is the one in episode 45. put a pin in that.

and with that we've covered all the other kingshammer uses. so, finally, let's talk about hardwon and kingshammer.

hardwon is definitely the strongest association the song has. especially in campaign 1, where it's almost exclusively used for hardwon and the kingshammer (the weapon, not the song) until the godshammer is created in episode 93.

i want to break these uses up real quick; first, let's look at the first handful of uses in campaign 1: 45, 54 (all of them), 55, 69. here, the song comes in as things get dire. the mountain collapses, and it looks like even as the kings save his friends hardwon is going to die. then, he dies and sees that lydia is trapped. he watches his father's last stand. kingshammer isn't a heroic theme for hardwon here, it's a theme he struggles against. it's not prompted by his actions, it's prompted by something happening to him. it's the weapon he wields, but in 69 it's even actively rejected him due to his vampiric nature.

and then, well, a few things happen. he's reborn, for one (literally). and then in episode 75, for the first time, hardwon prompts the song. he speaks up in the astral council, and says "you don't broker a deal with someone who calls herself a god." and his friends and allies stand with him.

after this, the uses in episodes 80-93 (keep that pin in episode 93) are pretty obviously tied to the weapon itself. the kingshammer. as it gets stronger, so does hardwon. the "looks like a dwarf to me" flashback is the first time he wields it. every other use concerns the hammers and the dwarven kings. the kingshammer isn't what makes hardwon a hero, not by a long shot. but the thing that's interesting to me is the turn here. it's no longer a song that happens to hardwon, not really. it's often a song prompted by hardwon's action, and it's more hopeful now. it represents the weapon and its legacy, which is a thing hardwon is coming to embrace.

now, about that pin. in episode 93, hardwon and macgannis talk about the godshammer. when macgannis offers hardwon his own hammer, hardwon says: "i don't necessarily have to be the guy, you know, if you wanna swing it--" and the song cuts off. they wrestle for the hammer, hardwon wins, and the godshammer is restored.

after this point, kingshammer is not used for hardwon again until campaign 3 episode 45, when he summons the spirit guardians at the 11th hour of the lord ultrus fight.

i just want to emphasize that; hardwon tells macgannis that he doesn't have to be the one who wields the kingshammer, and the song doesn't get used for him again until he accepts it back in campaign 3. when he says "hey boys, i think we have a friend to avenge," stands against ultrus, and his friends and allies stand with him. when he accepts himself as the wielder of the kingshammer again, and what that means to him (being a hero).

do you see-- i am talking directly to you, the single person who read this far-- do you see why the song use in this podcast is insane?? like! did murph know, back in the first campaign, that hardwon would return, be retired, and have given up the kingshammer? definitely not. does the use of kingshammer for hardwon mirror his arc in an insane way? yes.

so that's an overview of hardwon and kingshammer. however, we're not done. let's look at it all together: moradin, the kingshammer (the weapon), the uses for bev and jv in c1, betrayals and rituals in eldermourne, the serpents and dragons of c3, and hardwon's relationship to the hammer and the song.

kingshammer is a song for weapons. emily says it, when talking about campaign 3. and that is 100% a common theme here. but, going a bit further, it's also a song about the interaction of mortals and divine/otherworldly power.

often, it's mortals wielding that power. the kingshammer (the weapon) is a divine gift, given by moradin to the dwarven kings. a huge chunk of the uses, especially in c1, are directly tied to the weapon and hardwon's wielding of it. the spirit guardians is a huge example of this as well, as hardwon and his allies are touched by the kingshammer's magic and able to stand against ultrus. and also; bev sr uses the power of the shadowfell to bless bev's sword. and the serpents are oberon's weapon against the destruction of nature; glen uses the silver serpent for his own gains, gromdal does the same to the bronze. callie, meanwhile, doesn't use the serpents, not like glen or gromdal-- instead, kingshammer comes in when she attempts to soothe them. because ultimately, that's the way she wields their power. through connection.

sometimes, they're being pulled at by its influence instead. positively, or negatively. JV, when he's beyond death, meeting the gods. hardwon after his death, torn between lydia (who was put in this position by a god) and his friends. beverly, trapped by an avatar of thiala's magic, being guided by the ghost of erdan. the souls of irondeep being pulled from the prime material by lydia, the lord of shadowfell. callie, entering the helm where ultrus was trapped to save calder.

in eldermourne, this is less tangible. however; the betrayals and the children of the trickster. this cycle of betrayal is the biggest divine influence that remains in eldermourne. the blades are tied up in it, due to their ties to cerenysus and the betrayal by the blades who sided with moxora. walder is tied up in it, as i mentioned before, and he remains in his undead form because of the influence of moxora. jabari is influenced by the prophet-ed king into betraying his friends. the ghost dragon, an otherworldly being, is created by pain caused by mortal actions. and then the crown ritual, at the very end. when moxora, disguised, betrays them and shows irina the third mates "betraying" their ideals, out of context. and the last use, with henry, is as he steps up to end the cycle, one that he had been a part of before.

it's all mortals and the otherworldly, and the places they meet. it's hardwon and his mortal allies, standing together on the premise that you don't broker a deal with someone who says they're a god. and, at the same time, it's hardwon and his allies finding strength in the kingshammer's magic to stand against the avatar of one. it's the ways the two influence each other. an intervention by one onto the other. sometimes they draw strength from each other, other times they're opposed. it's a song that is dire, and also hopeful. oftentimes, which of those is the case is determined while the song is playing.

tl;dr: kingshammer has a lot of uses, but it's very consistently used to represent (divine) weapons, and the interactions between mortals and the divine/otherworldly. when applied to hardwon specifically, it has a lot to do with his journey as a hero and accepting that that's what he is.

(also, since i'm writing this before either happens: don't be surprised if it's used for the ice knife (the weapon) and/or the final serpent whenever we meet it. both of these have a high chance of getting kingshammer applied to them considering everything that's been set up about the ice knife and also, y'know, serpents.)

in conclusion: you can pay careful attention to the music in naddpod, but watch out. you might accidentally write 2.5 thousand words about a song. thank you for reading.

and go listen to kingshammer-- aside from all the meaning it also just kicks ass.

-

notes, disclaimers, etc:

for the purposes of this, if the song loops, it's part of the same use. if it is used later in the same episode, it's noted separately.

this is mentioned above, but not every use fits 100%. murph and emily very deliberately use music throughout the story to inform it, and also sometimes kingshammer is just the right song for a moment. both are true.

as a follow up to that, i'm not claiming that all of this was the specific intention. i'm just saying that when you look at kingshammer's uses as a song, there are some pretty strong themes, and it's fun to examine those.

i am not perfect. this is for fun. if i missed one, i'm sorry, feel free to point it out, and also i'll edit this post if that's the case

i would once again like to call out alli operationslipperypuppet for her help. she pointed out the divine connection first, and in general helped immensely. and, if naddpod music interests you, she's another person who often goes insane about it.

i am not above doing this for other songs, if you're interested let me know (few songs are as prolific as kingshammer, however)

[critter-genfic-events]

Keyleth Fic Recs!

Hi all! We're back from a hiatus with some recs for some good Keyleth fic! Eight fics that feature our favorite socially awkward druid under the cut - and of course, if you like them, don't forget to comment and kudos!

A Conspiracy of Raven by Senor_Sparklefingers (77384,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Past Keyleth/Vax'ildan

After the final battle with Vecna, Keyleth discovers that she's pregnant with Vax's child.

Reccer says: This story is absolutely lovely, full of excellent worldbuilding for Zephrah, a lot of focus on Keyleth's character and her relationships with her people.

the first (and last) soul saved by one Caduceus Clay by InTheMidnightHour (7063,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings:

Keyleth investigates the Savalirwood and meets a new friend.

Reccer says: I am a sucker for Keyleth and Caduceus friendship as a concept and this fic explores the concept beautifully.

From My Rotting Body, Flowers Shall Grow by keyleth_clay (10954,Teen) Warnings: Major Character Death Pairings: Caduceus Clay & Keyleth

Five hundred years after Campaign 1, Keyleth says goodbye to Caduceus Clay

Reccer says: It's filled with love even as it's about grief - I liked the flashbacks to their friendship

Garden-variety Training by charmedward (2158,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Keyleth & Grog

Grog finds Keyleth crying, and wants to help her out. Keyleth wants to fight.

Reccer says: Keyleth and Grog's relationship isn't talked about much, but I love anything that lets Keyleth be angry and Grog be sweet.

What You Leave Behind by CitizenMocha (10175,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Keyleth & Vilya | Viridian, Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III & Keyleth, Keyleth/Vax'ildan

AU - After the fight in the water plane, Keyleth thinks back on her mother.

Reccer says: It's an angsty imagining of what might have happened after the fight, and the realization of what Keyleth is doing and what she would see hit like a gut punch.

I Say We're Made of Love by azhdarchidaen (3298,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Percy & Keyleth

After Percy's death in C1E69, Keyleth comes to comfort him.

Reccer says: Keyleth and Percy's friendship is one of my favorite relationships through all of Critical Role - they're extremely different and disagree a lot, but they still love and support each other. This gets their characterizations right.

These Days are Precious by SnowboundWanderer (3370,Teen) Warnings: Choose not to warn Pairings: Keyleth & Vex'halia

Decades into the future, Keyleth visits an aging Vex.

Reccer says: A lot of Keyleth fic has a good amount of lifespan angst - she is going to outlive the rest of Vox Machina by centuries. This fic gets the balance right - allows Vex to age but still very much be Vex, and for them to talk and still go about living.

the diplomacy of aunthood by justlikeswitchblades (2028,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Keyleth & Vex'halia

Keyleth visits the De Rolos and their new baby.

Reccer says: Keyleth is adorably awkward here, and I empathize with her inability to understand what to do with tiny humans (or quarter-elves).

Amethyst and Flowers on the Table by Operafloozy (2291,Teen) Warnings: none Pairings: Keyleth & Caduceus, Keyleth & Vilya

Vilya introduces Keyleth to Caduceus

Reccer says: Keyleth and Cad aren't quite friends here, but you can imagine them becoming friends in the future. Both of them are rough in a way that seems very in character for them.

Voice to the Rain by J (jaywright) (12808,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Orym & Keyleth, secondary Keyleth/Percy/Vex

Orym accompanies Keyleth to Whitestone for a visit, shortly after Will's death.

Reccer says: I liked it

If you liked this rec list, follow along for more! We'll be posting a new list with a new theme each Monday. Want to make your own recs? Check out the rules, and then use the form to submit!

Next week, we'll be looking for Gen fics featuring Minor Characters! Did they have two seconds of screentime but steal our hearts? Are they only mentioned but don't appear onscreen? It's free real estate, and there's some great fic out there for them!

And hey, if you're looking for more great genfic, check out all of the critter gen week creations!

[jenjar178]

Critical Role C1E69

I have a lot of thoughts on this episode.

I suppose to go in reverse chronological order the Raishan reveal at the end was absolutely awesome. Matt is very good at dropping hints and foreshadowing. A keen observer would have been able to tell Assum was fake and it can be explained because it's consistent with the world as Matt has portrayed it.

Kerrek's letter was really sweet and it was very cool to see the party's reaction to the recording by Patrick Rothfuss.

I really like the developing story with Kynan. A character who most people had probably forgotten or relegated as a footnote in the broader story comes back in a big way due to the way the Vox Machina dismissed him. Matt has previously established that the way they interact with NPCs can have longstanding consequences such as with Reginald in Westruun. Liam really steps up to the plate to try and fix their mistake.

Finally, I'm on the fence about Percy's resurrection. I'm not anti resurrection magic in DnD it makes a lot of sense for most games because the alternative can be less fun for the table. But considering that Critical Role is very narrative driven I think letting Percy die might have been a good option. In the last episode when the party bands together to collectively finish off Ripley after Percy dies is one of my favorite moments in the entirety of Campaign 1 and I think that could have been the start of a new arc for all of Vox Machina. I would have loved to explore Vex's grief over a lost lover Scanlan's fear of not being able to protect the people he cares for and Keyleth's growing weariness of the toll their mission is having on them.

I also must say the resurrection sequence loses me a little because it feels like the party kinda collectively drops character, especially Vax. I totally get why I would probably do the same at a home game. However, Vax is trying to become a faithful paladin of the Raven Queen who firmly believes death should be final it frustrated me that Vax didn't seem too conflicted about resurrecting Percy. It reminded me a little of Grog way back in episode 32 where Grog of all people would be absolutely itching to fight and help the people of Whitestone rise up but since the party was low on resources Travis was insisting they go rest. I don't really remember if Liam explores Vax on the resurrection of Percy in later episodes but I hope it does come up on his journey to accepting the Raven Queen.

That all being said I am still overall happy that Percy is alive and I do remember he has a lot of great moments going forward that we wouldn't have seen if he died here also the party seems very happy about this which is more important in my opinion.

What I find absolutely hilarious though is that Taliesin mentions in the previous episode he has a backup character in case Percy dies and that character is Molly.

[bisexuel]

after c1e69 and c2e69. finally... funny sex joke

the title of ep 69 lmao?

[revvlovv]

„There are some living things that need to pass through fire before they flourish — I am Keyleth, an Air Ashari like my mother before me. I was made to pass through fire.”

[tap for slightly better quality]

[aquariusdeanw]

It’s always “I love you” and never “Percy I don’t know if you can hear me, but that day in Syngorn was…one of the best moments of my life. And not because of what you think. It wasn’t because of my father or the title. It was because of Whitestone. It was because of you. You allowed me to be part of a thing that you hold dearest. And I was so proud. But I don’t want to be here if you’re not. Whitestone still needs you darling. I still need you here. I should’ve told you…it’s yours.”

[ravendruid]

KERREK'S LETTER GOT ME SOBBING

[yesifitswithyou]

Percy and Keyleth is one of the most beautiful friendships ever i'm Bawling

[loudestlibrarianongodsgreenearth]

WHEW

[the-velvet-worm]

decided to revisit campaign 1 briefly and rewatch episodes 68 & 69 just to hurt myself and I can’t believe how much things have changed since then 😭 everyone had such fresh baby faces and the production quality was kinda shitty and things were SO MUCH LESS POLISHED I’m really enjoying campaign 2 but the vibes of campaign 1 were just so.... I miss it idk

[excusemeaminute]

the fact that vox machina are gonna sleep in a blanket fort beside a corpse on a table is so on brand for them

[molliehaswords]

Holy shit. Rothfuss recording the reading of the letter from Kerr to Keyleth was brilliant. I’m getting teary-eyed just like Marisha. This whole episode, man…

Laura said it best, “Motherfucker, that’s cool.”