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@disastergenius re your tags about how additionally, Keyleth is permitted (somewhat misdirected) anger against the Raven Queen for 30 years for something that was ultimately far more complex/Vax's choice, but Orym isn't permitted, to be perfectly frank, 3-4 months of anger given that he didn't find out it was specifically the Vanguard who attacked until after Campaign 3 had begun - yeah! The difference is incredibly stark and it becomes obvious the issue is entirely "well I think that killing Orym's family was a justified action on the way to the Noble Pursuit of Killing the Gods, so he should obviously get over his inconvenient feeling, whereas Keyleth's feelings are debatably compatible, so I'll let that slide."

The argument for Ludinus is often that he just wants to be understood and I think it comes from a place of really worryingly failing to understand that if you kill someone's husband they won't listen, because those people are like "but my Noble Pursuit?" and can't or won't comprehend that many people (I'd even say most) might write you off entirely on the basis of your actions alone, and will not care about your thought process. I also think that Orym represents a population and a question that Bells Hells do not adequately engage with/explore throughout the narrative - it's not just that he brings up the possibility that the overall process of killing the gods could lead to immense harm to the population of Exandria and that he doesn't want to pursue something without knowing, he did lose people as collateral to this goal and doesn't want that visited upon others. And he mostly gets ignored for his attempt to think beyond himself.

The thing is, I think it is true that Ludinus wants to be understood - you could even, if you wanted to really get into the sympathetic interpretation, argue this is a function of how in the immediate aftermath of his loss there probably wasn't anyone to sit with him and help him process or even specifically grieve alongside him. But a consistency in his characterization is how throughout his entire life, he constantly pushed people away and isolated himself and thought himself better, and it's only now, when he knows his time is almost up, that he bothers to say "man I wish the people I looked down on and treated as expendable tools understood me." like idk you could have tried this 500 years earlier and maybe Molaesmyr would still stand. It's a classic villain trope, and a good one - they try to get some kind of connection with the heroes because they have no one else left to connect with - but it's a classic villain trope in that it underlines how empty this person has made their own life.

And what's interesting to me is that it's also very valid (I'd even say objectively correct) interpretation to argue Ludinus's family was also innocent collateral in the service of a goal much larger than them. I don't dispute the idea that Ludinus and Orym are parallels - in fact I think it's incredibly true! And that's the issue: Orym's response within a mere few months of knowledge and less than a decade of mourning is infinitely more mature, wise, and kinder than Ludinus's millennium-long murder tantrum, and what's more, Ludinus created him. Ludinus not only visited his exact pain on someone else (for reasons, I might add, that veer into "this was unnecessarily murderous and cruel" re the anti-resurrection poison, which literally is one of the Great Dropped Threads/Plot Holes of C3 but that's another post) but the person he harmed responded with a grace Ludinus never once possessed, and nothing stings more to a self-pitying egotist than looking into a mirror and seeing someone do better in every possible way.

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[ID: A digital painting of Dorian Storm and Orym from Critical Role. They're sat in the overgrown ruins of an abbey, Orym perched higher than Dorian on the remains of a pillar. Orym's smiling down at Dorian, a hand on his cheek. Dorian is looking up at Orym, covering Orym's hand on his cheek with his own hand. End description.]

A Prince and His Knight

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Liam doing a Marisha-like perch for character physicality reasons is so funny to me

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Liam: *introduces Skreev*

Me: Thanks, I hate him. 😂

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i've missed them

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Orym and Caleb interacted for 10 seconds in the prologue and it was everything to me

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Finally getting around to posting my Ashton jacket. Been working on it for over a year, and there's only a tiny bit of space left. Also, it weighs, like, 20 pounds. 😂

The front.

[ID: The front of a black jacket with grey hoodie sleeves and a hood, and red-and-black plaid shoulder panels. Almost every inch of the jacket is covered in colourful patches and pins. End ID]

Close-ups. [ID: a series of close-up photos of the patches and pins on the front of the jacket. Many feature slogans like, 'Smiley Day', 'DIY or Die', 'No Libraries, No Democracy. Freedom of Information for all', and 'Save on Groceries, Eat a Weston'. End ID]

The Back. [ID: The back of the same jacket, which has 'Just Don’t' painted in the middle in large, graffiti-style letters, and a variety of patches surrounding them. The patches feature slogans like 'Eat the Rich', 'Land Back', and 'Be Nice'. End ID]

The Hems [ID: The hem of the jacket has two slogans embroidered in red and white thread around the circumference: 'Pain = Chronic, Vibe = Iconic', and 'Anger is a Rational Response to Injustice'. End ID]

I painted the back of the jacket with fabric paint, and made most of the patches and all the wooden pins by hand. The ones I didn't make myself were all purchased from artists at my local Punk Rock Flea Market or from locally-owned shops, with a couple that I got from Etsy. I still have a tiny bit of space on the back that I might embroider something in, but I haven’t decided what yet (if anyone has ideas, feel free to comment!).

I'm pretty happy with it. My only problem is it's way too hot to wear right now, lol. 😂

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Fearne🌼🌿

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Marisha: "Do you have a John Wick origin story?"

Me: Actually, that explains why Snyx has been so surprisingly deadly in all these fights. 😂

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wait, I forgot that Caleb was a huge Chetney fanboy and now they are on the same team in the live show, this will be hilarious.

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tried to do some height comparison mostly to try and wrap my head around 3'3 lil guy

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Brixton is coming with, totally didn’t overhear the conversation

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From real dark to real bright

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Six eyes watching you

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i have a bells hells disease. i'm afraid it's incurable

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Micro phase prompt? Okay! Maybe 2, 15, 22, aaaaaaand 41 for some TLC for Bells Hells 'cause Total Party Kills shows how much Vasselheim does not care how much Bells Hells did until they gave the gods a choice for the first or second time of their existence, then gave them heretical allegations for not liking the fact that the gods decided to choose family.

Either way, Bells Hells REALLY need a break from back to back action.

I mean, I feel like it was specifically mentioned that those hunting Bells Hells were zealots and not the actual temples. But, the temples probably aren't doing much to discourage others from going after BH. 2 this was a mistake 15 trembling hands 22 nap 41 comfort food

It's with a staggering exhaustion that Orym stumbles up to his mother's front door to ask her indulgence that he and his friends might crash on her living room floor once again.

She hustles them all inside, clucking and fussing, without a moment's hesitation, of course. She's got a big heart like that.

Once everyone's got some floor space, she bustles off to the kitchen to begin tea. And a meal if the clatter of pots and pans is any indication. Gods, a warm, home-cooked meal sounds good.

Soon enough, exhausted, trembling hands are wrapped around warm mugs of soothing tea (no one mentions that Ashton's flask has been liberally passed around to spike drinks. Orym's not sure that his mother didn't already add a splash before she brought the drinks out).

Most of the others get a small nap in between finishing their tea and Alma providing a late lunch/early dinner. Ashton and Chetney unwittingly compete for the loudest snores (Orym's not sure how Fearne actually sleeps pressed between them, they're so loud), Laudna and Imogen are curled up in each other, Braius is splayed out alone, and Orym is snugly fit in Dorian's arms. Despite the comfort though, Orym doesn't sleep. Still a little too keyed up for it, listening for foes they left on an entirely different continent.

Then the meal is ready, requiring the rousing of napping friends. Alma's cooking is delicious. A spread of everything homely and fresh, made to fill empty bellies with warmth and love.

Still tired from all the running they've done, Bells Hells are quick to fall back asleep once they've finished eating. Orym ready to join them this time with a full belly and the feeling of home finally calming his nerves.

For one wild moment as he settles down, Orym wonders if it was a mistake to escape here, if this won't bring the hunters to his mother's door.

But no. This is Zephrah. A place where the gods are acknowledged but not in power. And more importantly, a place that looks out for its own.

Assured, Orym lets his eyes close to the sound of his friends' breathing all around him in his childhood home. Safe, if only for a little while.