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[arabella-strange]

Okay, thinking about some of these recurring threads... is this anything? [initiate Red String protocol] -- spoilers for C2 and C3 thru e92:

Ruidus-born Exandrians seem to be able to appear -- semi-materially, and certainly psychically -- on the red moon in dreams. The more advanced a Ruisdus-born person is in their sorcery journey, the more powerful their agency and material interaction during those dreams seem to get.

Ruidians, likewise, appear in a dreamy state when aiding a Ruidus-born person on Exandria (e.g., whenever Imogen summons a Reiloran and they show up sorta blank and helpful), and then to disappear upon dropping below a certain HP -- which we could infer means that this is what certain Ruidians experience when they take part in certain Exandrians' dreams???

The Prime Deities regularly appear to mortals through dreams. Across CR, this has been a constant mode of divine visitation since the imposition of the Divine Gate -- a post-Calamity (i.e., Divergence) construction. (Above table: Matt *explicitly* called attention to how important dreams were to C2, and esp. to Fjord, Yasha, Caduceus when receiving a message from their respective gods/patrons.)

Also at the Divergence, Ruidus itself was constructed as part of the same lattice-work separation of the Material Plane from the divine planes/realms as the Divine Gate.

The Prime Deities -- and not just the good or nice ones -- are all afraid of what Predathos is up to. They've sent visions (and in Opal's case, rewritten dreams!!!) to say so.

In C2, the culminating arc led the party through Aeor in search of the Somnovem, the cabal of batty mageocrats who had departed for the Astral Sea in the hopes of completing their project to make a new "proto-realm" wherein dream-creation could construct new realities.

(Also in that arc, of course, Caleb and Beau received their eyes/marks of the Somnovem when visited in dreams.)

As of c3e92, we heard that Ludinus is back to dumpter-diving in Aeor.

Most obviously of all -- to the tune of EXU: Calamity [my beloved]-- we have known for a long time that the Age of Arcanum was incredibly hostile to the Gods. Aeorians invented the Factorum Malleus in order to smash the Gods and supplant them with the total power of mortals (above all, wizards). That went well.

In fact, let's remember that Asmodeus -- Lord of the Hells, King of Lies, Betrayer God extraordinaire -- opened the entirety of EXU: Calamity by appearing to Zerxus in a dream... a dream which primed Zerxus to view the signs of the coming Calamity in a certain light and, from there, to become an instrumental accelerant to the theomachy [god-war] that was coming. As in, because of the kind of dream-lie that Asmodeus planted in Zerxus's mind, the Calamity came sooner, harder, and more surely than if that dream had not occurred.

... Could we then call Zerxus a "VESSEL" for that dream-lie?

Predathos is an unknown entity, but allegedly is older than the Primes, older than the Titans, old as balls.

Predathos is, apparently, looking for a Vessel.

Exaltant Ruidus-borns are, apparently, all potential the/a Vessel.

What I'm dancing around here is a fuzzy theory I'm trying to nail down. It's got something to do with the fact that the Calamity was, in part, an enormous trick played by the Betrayer Gods upon mortals, a trick in which those Gods who desire destruction, chaos, pain, misery, or total annihilation got to plant seeds in dreams which became the fruits of mortal chaos. There's also something here about the causal order: did Ludinus learn from the Somnovem? From Aeor? When? Did Predathos (or Asmodeus or Tharizdun) actually bequeath the insights of the Somnovem to them as part of that sowing of discord? Or did the brilliant nightmares of the mortals inspire the evil Gods (and potentially proto-gods like Predathos) to focus on dreams as *the* key tool for unleashing collective mortal power—unharnessed by the morals or the material confines of waking life, let loose in dreams and then useful for divine machinations?

In short: Which came first, Predathos or the dreams? Or is Predathos the dream-as-god, a manifestation of dreams that became -- or always was -- so powerful that it threatened the Gods themselves?

[I'm not sure I'd put money on this, but I wonder if there really is a Predathos. If this is just another avatar or front for Asmodeus, or Tharizdun. Because if it's a(nother) trick, that would make a certain kind of sense... especially if the goal is to re-open the Divine Gate via the backdoor on Ruidus. Dreams were essential to the first Calamity. When at first you only kinda succeed, try, try again. But equally if there is no Predathos, except as the accumulated, re-activated energy from a millennium of dreams of dissatisfaction (dreams which could consume the very Gods rather than the flip-side of that same coin, dreams/thought/belief/imagination as the energy which powers and even creates them)... then that's really important because it explains how the Gods came to be! And it's also important to understanding how to stop this catastrophe -- or second Calamity -- from happening.]

Each option is described briefly under the cut.

Boon from gods: basically when part of Exandria was scooped to form Predathos prison and a bunch of people got yeeted into space some gods decided it's not cool and created this link so that those trapped on Ruidus could still experience wonders of their home.

Predathos connection: when Predathos came from Outer Realms and consumed Vordo and Ethodok (two gods that are no more) it gained some power over their domains. If one of those was dreams-related, people of Ruidus could potentially get some of this ability from long exposure, proximity and whatever the fuck Weave Mind has been doing to them

Innate ability: people of Ruidus are just aliens who can do that and connection with Exandria just happens to be strong enough (because of proximity or connection between two celestial bodies that used to be one planet)

Murder Seaweed: remember that one undead plant that grows next to the lake portal? It does mindfuckery. Some of it got sucked into Ruidus. Was left for thousands of years. Slowly changed the ecosystem.

[arabella-strange]

There’s nothing I love more than a little dorym mischief. I caught this while watching S3:EP14, Robbie is so silly I wanna give him a little forehead kiss. 

[arabella-strange]

just one arrow

[arabella-strange]

Keyleth Appreciation Post

Did you know that there are some seeds that cannot sprout unless they are first burned?

[x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]

(the tags aren’t working so I’ll just @criticalrolesource - feel free to delete this line)

[arabella-strange]

the "you should be wary, because only one side of this table is underestimating the other" -> "i wish for you in the future to find someone who will mourn you when you are gone" -> "do you think that'll break through, or do you think you'll be surprised?" pipeline <3

[arabella-strange]

[arabella-strange]

Various audio snippets of my childhood that I've collected.

[arabella-strange]

"I hope her ends are great because these means are unjustifiable."

God, I love Ashton

[arabella-strange]

I hope @quiddie can hear the screaming all the way in Glasgow.

AABRIA GUEST DM??? MATT AS A PC MAYBE??? DARIAX??? OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY BEING...EXU?? With the lead in being Orym's message to Dorian and not hearing the reply, and Aabria as the EXU DM, it could check out we're about to get some Crown Keepers action

[arabella-strange]

@quiddie whaaaaatttt

[arabella-strange]

[arabella-strange]

Not because it's gonna happen but what ifffff

Devexian?

[arabella-strange]

she was a bad bitch why lie

[arabella-strange]

One thing that's really interesting about FCG's death is that unlike most deaths in D&D which come about due to random chance -a fight goes bad due to the DM rolling well, a poor roll leads to an unlucky failed save- Sam had complete creative control the ENTIRE time. He chose to have FCG Guiding Bolt themself to set off the arcane power core at the centre of their body knowing full well this would kill them and it was a choice he was willing to make (and felt that FCG would be as well). He willingly sacrificed his own character to kill Otohan and give the rest of the party a chance.

It's part of what makes me think that this death is indeed permanent. Sam walked into this knowing fully what he was doing, and he willingly let FCG go

[arabella-strange]

I love Ashley’s frustrated “BITCH”

[arabella-strange]

Combat episodes of CR are truly back to peak because I was yelling aloud in distress that Matt got the rule for Nat20 death saves wrong for Imogen like this was Phillies baseball and I was yelling at Angel Hernandez

[arabella-strange]