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Adelia: you’re beautiful, and capable of great things, like murder. Don’t do that though, unless it’s completely necessary.

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More Campaign 4 Predictions: Setting 

Each Critical Role main campaign has taken place on a different continent of Exandria, and look at that, we’ve got one left! 

I would love to see C4 take place in Issylra, maybe around 20-30 years after the events of C3. Considering how things ended, I figure the next few decades will be full of social/political/theological turmoil all over Exandria, but would be especially interesting in Issylra considering its history and Vasselheim’s… well, everything. 

It would also be cool to see the world entering a new technological age. The Apogee Solstice disrupted all sorts of magical defenses, infrastructure, and conveniences that I’m sure most denizens of Exandria took for granted. Perhaps Whitestone’s Sophist of Native Ingenuity has been on to something this whole time with his gadgets and gizmos aplenty. And I bet the emergence of new technologies would be yet another source of Issylran drama, progress versus tradition, et cetera. Steampunk Fantasy is also just a top tier aesthetic. 

I feel like there’s so much cool stuff to unpack on Issylra. We’ve only seen small bits and pieces of it over the three campaigns so far, so I’m crossing my fingers for a Steampunky Nordic-inspired Age of Transition. I think it would be neat. 

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This did kind of okay and I'm really proud of it so I thought I would post it here and see what happened. Happy ten years Critical Role.

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i love this family so bad . to the stars

acolyte - slaughter beach, dog | liam’s quest | grief lessons: four plays by euripides - anne carson | the legend of the cast of the legend of vox machina | the bright sword | the sorcerer’s stone | true blue - boygenius | long live - taylor swift | katfishdraws | liam’s quest

ib @shorthaltsjester

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I was unprepared for the jumpscare of Travis’ shaved face.

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Critical Role: 10 Years of Storytelling

Campaign 1, Episode 115, "The Chapter Closes." // Taliesin Jaffe, in "As D&D booms, 'Critical Role' makes its own kind of nerd celebrity" by Sarah Parvini // Campaign 3, Episode 31, "Breaking Point" // On Loving by Forugh Farrokhzad, tr. Sholeh Wolpé // The Legend of Vox Machina at NYCC 2022 // 8-bit Stories // Campaign 1 Wrap-Up // “Without You Without Them” by boygenius // Campaign 2, Episode 141, "Fond Farewells." // Campaign 3: Behind the Set // Letters to Milena by Franz Kafka // Campaign 1, Episode 115, "The Chapter Closes." // Explanation of the final Vex’ahlia playlist by Laura Bailey // Liam's Quest: Full Circle // Backwards by Warsan Shire // Exandria Unlimited: Kymal, Part 2 // Explanation of Fearne’s second playlist by Ashley Johnson // Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson // San Diego Comic-Con 2023, Critical Role: Fireside Chat & Cast Q&A // Exandria Unlimited Cooldown: Divergence Episode 4 // Campaign 3, Episode 23, "To the Skies." // Explanation of the final Percy playlist by Taliesin Jaffe // "For Good" by Stephen Schwartz // Campaign 3, Episode 91, "True Heroism." // Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, Episode 4, "Fire and Ruin." // Campaign 3, Episode 121, "A New Age Begins."

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Finally getting the chance to finish the EXU finale. And as finales go, I'm tearing up off and on.

And then we get to Kraghammer. Garen, Matt's character, founded Kraghammer! Where Vox Machina's journey shared with all of us started. What a beautiful moment.

And then. Then Liam comes back out. And the theory that Erro was the Platinum Dragon was true. And Garen is the All-Hammer. And then Liam/Erro says, "...of this world you created."

And I'm weeping. This world that Matt created. I wept through the whole portion of Liam narrating their airborne journey of the beauty of Exandria to its creator.

Brennan: "You ride on the back of the Platinum Dragon. Seeing a world shaped by your hand."

And yeah man, it's weepy city over here. I'm sure other people have said this better but I'm just. Yeah I'm so emotional.

"What a world he made."

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The epilogue story to this era of stories in Exandria being a love letter to Matt, as the architect of Exandria, from Brennan and Liam is so perfect.

Especially since Matt is always saying that this world is a gift from him to his friends, and yet he still consistently shies away from taking much credit for how incredible it is.

Like I’m so happy for him to have played Garen as this archetypal old dwarven smith because that’s what he loves playing and he did an incredible job, but it’s also so fitting for him to have been unknowingly the mortal form of the Exandrian god of creation, even more so with the understanding that the humble mortal life he led as Garen served as the keystone for the divine gate.

Also, Liam as Erro sacrificing himself to save Garen and then coming back later to collect him as his brother with the understanding that Exandria would be left in good hands after all their hard work… just beautiful, both in-game and with all the out-of-game context and poetry.

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There is an illusion we all share, which is the dream we have of a world that does not exist, but might. That illusion is more precious than gold and as dear as kin and home.

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"The mountains and peaks shaped by the loving hands of the All-Hammer. What a world he made…"

Brennan said this story was meant to be a love letter to Matt and it truly feels like it. Here is my little ode to Exandria and its maker.

10 years of Critical Role, 10 years of this story, shaped by many loving hands. What a journey it all is -- and I'm so happy to be a small part of it to this day!

Also Divergence truly destroyed me. The hope, the struggle, the power of the many in the face of evil. The meaning in creation, creativity, and hard work... a a a aa

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Sure sounds like Garen to me. Just sayin’. I think we might have a sneaky God in our midst…

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When I picture Fiedra lugging around Condemner, I just picture Jinx with her huge guns like

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Still thinking about crokas constantly. He was adopted by a halfling gang boss. He was so dumb and then so smart. He’s in the wilderness for the first time in his life. He’s sooo big. He’s a lizard. Alex ward is truly being his creature actor self. The storm lord loves him, and so do I.

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Lumia/Brennan, a unicorn and servant of the Arch Heart: I believe we have beheld [the Arch Heart] for the very last time. Nia/Celia: Nia nods, understanding their grief. Lumia: I do not think it is right that beautiful things should leave the world. It is not given to me to question, but I cannot be stopped from mourning. Nia/Celia: I could not agree more. Fiedra/Jasmine: It's our turn to make the beautiful things happen here now. Garen/Matt: Here here to that. Erro/Liam: And magic remains. Lumia: Magic remains. Left to the hands of those blessed with its wielding.

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My Very Specific and Likely Totally Incorrect Guesses for C4 Character Classes

This was an overly complicated process of me looking at the characters the cast have played and the party compositions of the previous campaigns. But anyway…

Ashley: Swarmkeeper Ranger, we haven’t had a Ranger since Vex, and I think Ashley would have fun with the swarm mechanics and enjoy having a bunch of little critters following her around.

Laura: Oath of Glory Paladin, Laura Bailey as a STR-based, low-INT muscle mommy herbo? Yes please! I think it would also break from the trend of Paladin as a multiclass that we’ve seen so much of before. Liam: Twilight Domain Cleric, perhaps of the Moonweaver? Liam’s done Rogue, Wizard, and Fighter, Cleric would complete the classic dnd party composition, and I think the domain suits him.

Marisha: Soulknife Rogue, Marisha is the only cast member who hasn’t played a rogue! (I’m counting multiclasses and Darrington Brigade) and I think she would make some cool creative choices with the subclass

Sam: Way of the Drunken Master Monk, it’s a nod to Nott, it’s a parody of Beau, it’s fertile ground for both comedy and tragedy as is the Sam Riegel Way.

Taliesin: School of Divination Wizard, an eccentric and mysterious wizard whose eye is always on the future? Taliesin coded. Travis: Armorer Artificer, I’m envisioning Jace Talis meets Tony Stark, charismatic genius packing a heavy metal punch, and I think it would showcase Travis’ own intelligence and strategic thinking.

Robbie: Whatever he chooses will be wonderful, I’m just happy to have him.